Car insurance renewal time.

I’m a paragon of car insurance virtue – no accidents or convictions, no health issues, desk job, 9 years NCB, etc.

But we live in Wythenshawe, Manchester.

Golf 1.6 – £1100 😯

… for S&G, used mam’s midlands address, near a council house estate (as was) – £240 😯

Wythenshawe is a rough and depressed area with it seems, a car crime problem.

We can afford the cost but it got me thinking (which happens infrequently)…

When moving in, I noticed the lack of cars parked on drives and on the road – less than other, more “middle class” estates.

To get a job you “need” a car (argue amongst yourselves about “need”)…

But you can’t afford a car ‘cos the scrotes have forced up the cost of car insurance (damage to cars, theft from and of cars, insurance fraud etc).

Would the solution be better public transport, punitive punishment for scrotes, tasty incentives for employers to move into the area, engaging with ne’er do well? Stuff beyond me, I think.

But to live here, right now, it must be pretty disheartening and depressing to be caught in a trap not of your own making.

There is some good news thought, the Metro tram system is being built through Wythenshawe, which means the scrotes might switch to smashing up/nicking cable from/mugging people who use the tram system, instead of targeting cars.

This means the cost of car insurance will fall and everyone will be able to afford a car and drive to their new jobs and I think we’ll all agree that’s a happy ending. 😀

To get a job you “need” a car (argue amongst yourselves about “need”)…

As the obvious centre of population (and thus jobs) is Manchester I’d say there’s no argument whatsoever, for a job you most definitely don’t ‘need’ a car at all.

According to the local dodgy blokes, the cost of replacing an impounded car plus the fine for driving without insurance… is often less than the insurance!

Bargain 👿

Golf 1.6 – £1100

Jeez

Me – one accident, one conviction (speeding). 1 year old V6 diesel A6 Estate – £260

Golf would be more expensive due to the type of drivers it attracts. Not saying the OP falls into this category but insurance companies will use this to work out the numbers. It should be cheaper with a different car.

As the obvious centre of population (and thus jobs) is Manchester I’d say there’s no argument whatsoever, for a job you most definitely don’t ‘need’ a car at all.

The industry and employment in Manchester, isn’t really centered in the city that much, and Wythenshaw isn’t in the city. Of course it can be done, but it really does cost a lot of your life traveling to work.

You wouldn’t think it given the “news” time dedicated to London’s transport issues, but it is a lot more difficult getting around most of the country’s other major cities by public transport than it is in London.

Location is only one part of tbe equation for underwriters, but it is easy to see why a lot of people don’t bother with insurance.

Lots of things could be done to deal with the issue. The first one might be stop idiots leaving other people with life changing injuries.

The industry and employment in Manchester, isn’t really centered in the city that much, and Wythenshaw isn’t in the city. Of course it can be done, but it really does cost a lot of your life traveling to work.

I accept that completely, and of course it’s easier with a car, but you don’t need one, as the OP said. I didn’t mention public transport necessarily either.

It’s 7 miles to the city centre, the OP could (and I know it’s a shocking prospect) ride a bike… Probably quicker than the car.

It’s 7 miles to the city centre, the OP could (and I know it’s a shocking prospect) ride a bike… Probably quicker than the car.

But some people don’t want to ride a bike everywhere, nor have to rely on public transport. I can and do ride and use public transport but I would never, ever want to be without a car. I like driving a car and I like the convenience of leaving the office at 5.30pm and being home 15 minutes later to play with my children, help put them to bed etc.

Shocking isn’t it?

I am hoping the tram makes a positive difference and it does seem to my untrained eye that there is opportunity & space for businesses to set up and move in fairly close by (e.g. we’re close to the airport development area).

The entire Mersey, Manchester, West Yorkshire & Humber “belt” could do with a dash of the HS2 cash and better integration for its mass transport systems, tho.

I like driving a car and I like the convenience of leaving the office at 5.30pm and being home 15 minutes later to play with my children, help put them to bed etc.

all depends on your route home. Mine is centre of Sheffield to the city outskirts. If I want to leave at 5.30 and get home quickly I’m better off on the bike than sat in the car in traffic. I like driving, but not sitting in traffic jams.

I like the convenience of leaving the office at 5.30pm and being home 15 minutes later

I’m guessing your commute isn’t manchester -> wythenshawe.

Insurance companies matrices seem well ****ed up to me aswell but poverty trap sounds a little melodramatic.

I’m also having difficulty with the statement “no car =/= no job” in a major city.

I have lived without a car for 2 years, and even with the much better public transport and bike facilities we have in Germany, on those cold dark wet winter mornings, not having a car is a real pain. I will probably buy one again sometime soon.

But some people don’t want to ride a bike everywhere, nor have to rely on public transport. I can and do ride and use public transport but I would never, ever want to be without a car. I like driving a car and I like the convenience of leaving the office at 5.30pm and being home 15 minutes later to play with my children, help put them to bed etc.

You’re not the one starting a thread about how you can’t afford/don’t want to pay for car insurance, and yet you need a car to get a job. That was the OP’s word. I’m merely observing that you most certainly don’t need one, although in many circumstances it’s desirable.

I can’t imagine you could leave an office in Manchester at 5:30 and be home in Wythenshawe 15 minutes later by any mode of transport though. In fact, unless you work at a motorway junction I don’t think any commute that takes 15 minutes by car would take all that much longer by bike when done in rush hour.

It’s 7 miles, it’s hardly going to take hours to ride anyway.

“I like the convenience of leaving the office at 5.30pm and being home 15 minutes later to play with my children, help put them to bed etc.” This for me is the primary reason to commute by bike . The car journey takes from 10 mins to 45 mins depending on traffic . By bike it is always 15 mins max except in heavy snow when it was 45 mins but still faster than car or foot.

car insurance quotes are quite simply.. made up on the spot…

was insuring a third car for classic car trials this week

we have a skoda octavia vrs, 260 pa fully comp. a renault trafic 187 pa fully comp both have full driving careers no claims.. no one would give me any no claims discount for a third car limited to 6000 miles pa

if i added the mrs prices fell for some companies, rose for others. garaging overnight was often more expensive than parking on the street.. reducing the excess put price up

third party only was more expensive with every single insurer than fully comp.

all in the most expensive place to insure a taxi in the uk.. rochdale.

motorcycles on the other hand.. sure sir name and reg numbers for them all limit miles to less than a 1000 each pa fully comp agreed values a literal garage full for less than 200 quid.. and that includes unlimited callouts/recovery for the aa which on its own from the aa is 200 quid..carol nash i love you.

Surely a 7 mile commute can’t take more than about 30 minutes by bike?

To me a 7 mile commute by bike is about perfect. Even in perfect traffic it will only be slightly slower than the car and it’s long enough to give you a good level of base fitness. Cycling 14 miles a day 5 days a week will keep a good level of fitness even if you don’t do any other exercise. I am not talking Ironman Tri fitness but just an average persons level for good health etc.

Er….

can’t afford/don’t want to pay for car insurance, and yet you need a car to get a job

I’m happy to pay the cost of the insurance. I’m not beefing about the cost. If that’s how much it costs for that product and requirement, that’s how much it costs.

My point was that people find themselves economically and probably socially limited through no “fault” of their own.

It is my observation. It’s my opinion. That’s all. Nothing to do with a social engineering project to change commuting behaviour. Honest. 🙂

I think cars are looked at as a necessity for those who struggle to afford them, insurance can be expensive – although this is a distant memory for me now I do recall some ridiculous quotes when I was 17-20. At those prices I’d be surprised if a large proportion of people simply didn’t bother with insurance – and why would you if you were running something where insurance cost more than the fine for not having it plus replacing the impounded car (from a selfish point of view).

Really though it’s having the car that traps folk, not the cost of insurance which even at those rates is probably less than fuel and possibly maintenance/depreciation. Which is why my family owns only one. I’m happy to ride my bike.

Nobody leaves the centre of Manchester and is back in the ‘shawe in 15 minutes – it’s 45 mins at that time of day if you’re very lucky!

It’s 22 minutes on a bike.

The tram line will be great for the area, the bus routes are shocking, the 41 takes an hour to get up the curry mile through didsbury.

My insurance is £1300 a year for a 10 year old 2.0 Toyota avensis estate – Hardly a boy racers car.

Got to love M23!

Car insurance in indeed stupid. I went from a 1.6 diesel C-Max with 115bhp to a 2.0T Focus ST Estate with 250bhp and my insurance halved over what I was paying and was over £100 cheaper than the renewal. No circumstances or details were changed. How can a car with more than twice the power be cheaper to insure? Bonkers.

I’m so glad I never learned to drive, it seems to limit people’s ability to move around under their own steam.

I think cars are looked at as a necessity for those who struggle to afford them

That got me thinking – if I consider the people I know, where and how they work, SOME could (and probably should) ditch the car but quite a few would not be able to continue in there current job, under their current T&C’s but only a very few NEED the car.

Got to love M23!

The “best” one was for my MGB GT – Got some “normal” quotes as opposed to Classic insurance – on one price comparison site I got a quote of over £20,000! 😯 (Car was worth about £1000.)

I’m so glad I never learned to drive, it seems to limit people’s ability to move around under their own steam.

unfortunately my mrs has to drive in her job so that’s her commute and nursery run decided, she’s now back in education and I’m trying to convince her that walking the kids to school (~15mins) then walking to college (~20mins) is not a ridiculous idea, hard going tho.
I pretty much never commute by car and town centre is so close to home that any none “big shop” trips to the shops are done on the bike, but having access to a car it does seem hard to choose the bike/walk option for other stuff. It just kind of becomes the default.

We’ve got a car and a campervan – not for any must have reason, but because we wanted them for the convenience when other modes of transport don’t really work. Last year we did less than 3000 miles in the car, although since June have done 1500 miles in the campervan (26mpg!).
During the week neither of us uses either the car or van – we either cycle or train to work. For me it depends whether I’m in my office or a client’s and for herself on how the legs are feeling or if she has client meetings/ events in the evening. My cycle commute varies between 5 and 20 miles – each way, and hers is 17 miles each way. Admittedly we don’t have children but there is a serious over-reliance on cars in most people’s lives IMO, and a corresponding complete inability to understand risk as well.