An insurance claim is never ideal – it means something has happened to you car and you need to get it fixed, no matter how small or how serious. If you choose to claim on your insurance, it can be a really long process. It can also push up your premiums in future, meaning it isn’t always advisable to claim on insurance if you’re able to pay the costs yourself. Here are some things to think about:

• Was it your fault? If not, you may be able to claim on the other driver’s insurance if you have their details. Always get a registration number if you can.
• How much is the repair? If you are able to pay for the repair yourself, this is worth considering.
• It could take a long time to get the issue fixed on insurance. You will need to talk to both insurance companies and garages to co-ordinate the repair.

Pool cars are used for employees when they need to travel as part of their work. They are not designated to one person alone, meaning that they can be driven by multiple members of staff as and when the need arises. This is a good solution if staff will be required to travel quite regularly, but not enough to warrant them having their own company car or a car allowance.

When choosing your pool car, think about the following:

• Price. A business lease is very different to a personal lease. The costs may be lower but be careful about reading the terms and conditions thoroughly so you understand your legal obligations.
• Insurance. There will be different options depending on how many employees you want to be insured on the car.
• Branding. If you would like to put your business’s branding on the car, choose a suitable colour, like white or grey.

Company cars can be a great asset to your career. They aren’t just about the convenience and the financial benefit – they can make a big difference to your job as well. Usually company cars will be made available to people in careers that require a lot of driving, so having a good car can help you to avoid back pain and injuries when driving long distances on a regular basis. It is also more convenient for transporting the items you have to carry around for work.

Company cars can also be a good asset in your everyday life. You will be able to use the car to drive to meetings and to meet your clients, making it easier to travel. It will be beneficial not having to pay for car maintenance and fuel as well. Just remember that a company car is a taxable benefit so it is not completely free.

Running a car can be an enormous expense. It will not only cost a great deal of money to buy the car in the first place, it will also cost a lot to run it, maintain it and get adequate vehicle insurance. If you are thinking of getting a car, you need to seriously weigh up your options to make sure you can afford it.

First, see how much insurance would be. You will be able to use price comparison sites to work out the price of different insurance options on different vehicles. This will be a good starting point for you. You will then need to factor in things like fuel, MOTs, services and monthly payments if you have bought the car on finance.

You also need to take into account the cost of having a company car. It will not cost you any money to run the car but do remember that it is a taxable benefit so you will be losing some of your pay each month.

A company car is a benefit that lots of employees now look for. If you get a company car, though, you need to make sure you take excellent care of it. Whilst you’re not going to be expected to fix it if things go wrong, some basic maintenance will make sure that you are able to drive your car without any worries and give it back in excellent condition. Here is a brief checklist to follow:

• Make sure you know who to call if there is an emergency. If you break down or your car is involved in an accident, there will be somebody that you need to notify so you can get help. Keep their number to hand and make sure you know exactly what you need to do.
• Never miss services. Whilst it won’t be your responsibility to schedule in services, you will need to make sure that you car does attend its service. Keep its records up to date to show you are looking after it.
• Check your tyre pressure. You can do this easily at a garage.
• Make sure you have windscreen washer fluid. You don’t want to run out during the winter, so get into the habit of topping it up on a regular basis.
• Get your car cleaned regularly. If you don’t want to do it yourself, have it cleaned at a garage that you trust. This will help to keep the paintwork looking good and will prevent dirt from building up inside the car too.
• Make a note of any issues. If you spot anything that you think could be wrong with your car, no matter how small, make a note of it. Monitor it if it’s not too serious and if it persists, tell your employer immediately.

Back in the day it would be an absolute nightmare trying to get hold of a driver, and nowadays you can actually track their every movement and keep in contact with them 24-7.

If you suddenly need a driver to change direction or skip a delivery destination then you have to be able to communicate that message to them, and fleet management services can help you achieve this. Some companies will handle every aspect of your fleet from mileage measuring to license checking and accident management.

Whether you have a taxi firm or a fleet of lorries communication is key and today so too is tracking, and you can then best advise a driver out of a trick situation, monitoring traffic and accidents. Fleet management can cover all areas of your fleet so you don’t have to, and it’s something many companies are looking into.

Autonomous vehicles goes by many different names, but what it refers to is a vehicle which requires no driver. Current technology allows them to work through the use of sensors, which, through the use of an in-car computer, allows them to create a detailed idea of the cars environment, so that it can react to changes in geography, the changes in the road conditions, weather conditions, and whatever unexpected situations, like a car breaking in front of them, or a child running into the street. Having a system which is able to react correctly to any changes in its environment is a necessary component for any autonomous vehicle.

After these vehicles have finished their development, which may be as soon as ten years from now, we may see whole fleets of truck or taxi drivers being replaced by machines. We will also see some positive changes, like the elimination of human error and car crashes. Any changes that will take place are sure to change slowly, due to the fact that this technology is set to costs many thousands of pounds beyond a standard vehicle.