A new campaign to cut bike insurance claims

A new campaign has been launched to better road safety for motorcyclists, bike insurance customers may like to know.

As part of the Winter Riding Campaign, Devon County Council has launched the campaign which involves documentary style videos based on various bikers.

According to Devon County Council, the videos provide motorcyclists extra awareness of road safety and aims to reduce the risk of possible accidents.

The campaign was also introduced to reduce the amount of motorcycle insurance claims being made on Britain’s roads.

Councillor Margaret Rogers, executive member of the environment of Devon County Council said "The videos are good fun and passing them on helps spread a really worthwhile message about bikers keeping up their skills."

The footage has already attracted 25,000 hits in its first few weeks after being posted on Youtube and the Motorcyclenews website.

The Winter Riding Campaign is part of one of many of Devon County Councils schemes aimed to improve rider safety. In 2004 Devon County Council had launched the “Bringing Bikers Out of the Blindspot” campaign.

Meanwhile, proposals for speed cameras are being made by residents of Wigan after speeding motorcyclists were caught riding up to three times above the speed limit.

Campaigner, Patrick Prosser said: "So many students walk down this road every day. It is only a matter of time before an accident happens where a speeding motorist loses control and ploughs into them, causing multiple fatalities."

Source:http://www.onlyfinance.com/Bike-Insurance

Five Burlco men charged in motorcycle-theft ring

Five Burlington County men have been indicted by a county grand jury for their alleged roles in a motorcycle theft ring, state authorities said yesterday.

The indictments followed an investigation by the New Jersey State Police and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor into a group of people who were stealing motorcycles, retagging them with new vehicle identification numbers, and selling them.

In some case, the suspects were submitting phony insurance claims representing that the cycles had been stolen from their owners when they actually had been given up by their owners, authorities said.

"Frequently, insurance fraud investigations lead to evidence of stolen vehicles, as well as owner-initiated give-ups," said the state insurance fraud prosecutor, Greta Gooden Brown.

Wilson Lopez, 25, of Burlington City; Tyrone Sapp, 31, of Willingboro; and Angel Carrion 3d, 28, of Mount Holly, were charged in one indictment with conspiracy, eight counts of theft by unlawful taking, and five counts of receiving stolen property. Lopez also was charged with one count of fencing.

Also yesterday, in two separate indictments, the same Burlington County grand jury charged Neil C. Moyer, 33, of Browns Mills, with receiving stolen property and fencing, and Ian Boyington, 30, of Riverside, with receiving stolen property, alteration of a vehicle identification number, and a motor vehicle title offense.

The indictment charges that between December 2003 and June 2004, Lopez, Sapp and Carrion conspired to steal six motorcycles and two vans. The indictment also alleges that Lopez organized the fencing of a stolen motorcycle.

Moyer was charged with knowingly taking possession of a stolen motorcycle and selling it. The indictment charging Boyington alleges that he knowingly purchased a stolen motorcycle stamped with an altered vehicle identification number, and that he fraudulently titled the motorcycle.

Source:http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/nj

Bike insurance fraud gang pleads guilty in court

A gang that allegedly specialised in making false bike insurance claims and pocketing thousands of pounds in payouts have pleaded guilty to charges of fraud, reports said.

The gang from Weston-super-Mare, a court was told, often made false claims for the theft of non-existent bikes.

Five members of the gang appeared before the court and were named as: Andrew Hall, 34, of Brompton Road, Oldmixon; Jody Cowell, 28, of Monkton Avenue; Duane Long, 20, of Thirlmere Road, Weston; Mathew Potter, 25, of Londsdae Avenue, Weston; and Liam Lees, 22, of Locking Road, Weston.

The court also heard that the underwriters for all policies purchased through Carole Nash was a firm called Groupama, based in Portsmouth.

Mr James Ward, prosecuting, said they became quite suspicious at what looked like an organised theft of off-road bikes in and around the Bournville estate in Weston-super-Mare.

But they discovered through investigation they were dealing with an insurance swindle connected to claims for non-existent off-road motorbikes, and not the theft of the bikes, he added.

Judge Jamie Tabor accordingly convicted all the accused persons, handing them penalties that ranged from curfew, unpaid work to the weekly payment of compensation.

Source:http://www.onlyfinance.com/Bike-Insurance-News/

Claims flood insurance brokers

Insurance companies expect to suffer serious headaches when it comes time to distribute compensation to auto owners for vehicles damaged during the worst flooding in three decades.

"Bao Viet Insurance Group received approximately 140 claims from auto-owners with total damages reaching at least VND3 billion (US$182,000)," says manager of the vehicle department Dinh Quang Tan.

Bao Viet has more than 3 million motorbike policy and 600,000 auto policy customers nationwide, making up over 30 per cent of the auto insurance market share.

"Petrolimex Joint Stock Insurance Co (PJICO) has received more than 150 flood damage claims from customers, with total losses coming to approximately VND5 billion ($303,000)," says deputy director Nguyen Tien Dong.

Dong adds that claims for luxury car damages account for more than 20 per cent of the total compensation requests.

PJICO now handles between 25 to 30 per cent of the domestic auto insurance market share and more than 40 per cent of the motorbike market share, Dong says.

Post and Telecoms Insurance Co (PTI) has announced it expects to provide compensation to auto-owners in excess of VND2 billion ($121,000) due to the floods, says deputy director Luu Quang Hieu.

According to some insurance company statistics, the total compensation for auto damage repair in Ha Noi is estimated to be about VND30 billion ($1.8 million), equivalent to 10 per cent of the yearly vehicle insurance revenue.

Under the law regulating auto insurance, most normal damage will be compensated based on the terms of the individual insurance polices purchased by owners.

In the case of damage to rods and pistons inside the engine combustion chamber, which is commonly caused when drivers attempt to start an already immersed engine, insurance companies will refuse to compensate the owner unless they purchased a special type of insurance specific to this phenomenon.

The flooding has forced many insurance companies to run full throttle, with customer assistance offered by telephone 24 hours per day.

Source:http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/

Saunders goes great guns in Taupo

Taupo's Nick Saunders may be an amateur racer but he showed extraordinary courage and determination to take the fight to the professional overseas riders at the weekend's Swann Insurance International Motocross event in Taupo.

Saunders, who works as parts manager for Taupo Toyota, rolled out his fuel-injected Location Homes Red Baron Kawasaki KX450F to battle international superstars from South Africa and Scotland at the weekend, plus Kiwi world No.5 Josh Coppins.

Saunders finished an impressive fifth overall in the premier MX1 class at Taupo on Sunday, easily the best of the amateurs.

"It's a buzz ... such a buzz to come to this event and then do so well, to be up there with those guys," said the 23-year-old Saunders.

His performance was all the more remarkable because he is still recovering from an injury to his left wrist.

"I didn't have a great start in my first race but I still came through. South African GP rider Gareth Swanepoel (Kawasaki) was chasing me down and I could see him coming. I held on by my fingernails to beat him.

"In the second race I pretty much got the holeshot. I had a buffer over (former GP star and now professional coach) Darryll King but then I stalled the bike and he got past.

"Then luck went my way and Swanepoel and (Queenstown international Scott) Columb made mistakes and I took fourth place. That was good for fifth overall for the event and I'm thrilled with that.

"I think I've raised my game to another level. I believe I'll be 100% by next weekend and round two of the national championships (near Hastings on Sunday)."

Meanwhile, fellow Taupo rider Brad Groombridge (Fly Team Green Kawasaki KX250F) also shone on his home track.

The teenager finished third overall, behind Hawera's national 500cc champion Daryl Hurey and behind Rotorua's national MX2 champion Michael Phillips.

Team Green Kawasaki manager Mike Cotter said he was impressed with Groombridge's riding over the weekend.

"After a difficult weekend last weekend (at the opening round of the nationals) at Rotorua, Brad was under a lot of pressure to perform today. And, in front of a home ground, the pressure was even more intense. But he responded well.

"I think he's in good shape for Hastings next weekend."

Source:http://www.drivesouth.co.nz/news/9672/saunders