ABD: “No Benefit From Speed Awareness Courses”

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The Department for Transport have, after a long delay, published the Ipsos-MORI report that they commissioned into the effectiveness of speed awareness courses.

This is the key statement in the Executive Summary: "this study did not find that participation in NSAC [National Speed Awareness Course] had a statistically significant effect on the number or severity of injury collisions". In other words, as the Alliance of British Drivers has repeatedly said, this unethical and legally dubious diversion of drivers to speed awareness courses is primarily about generating money, not about road safety because there is no evidence of any real benefit. Indeed drivers who have attended such courses might be interested in another statement in the report: "the NSAC was not designed to reduce the incidence of collisions". So what exactly is the objective one might ask as it appears not to be focussed on improving road safety?Was the study too small to produce statistically significant results? Not exactly because the records of 2.2 million drivers, of whom 1.4 million had accepted a course offer, were studied over a period of 4 years. This data was linked to subsequent speed reoffending and involvement in collisions to produce the report's conclusions. That's a large sample. The only impact they found was that there was a reduction in reoffending after involvement in an NSAC, but that is surely hardly surprising because drivers might simply take more care about speeding after being caught for one offence because you cannot be offered a second NSAC within 3 years.The report argues that an even bigger study might prove there is some benefit but the proponents of such courses are surely clutching at straws if they think that expense is worthwhile.Regardless we suggest speed awareness courses should cease to be a money making industry for ex-police and road safety officers and should only be offered to people who are actually convicted of speeding offences. Otherwise they are just a way to bribe the police to look the other way when an offence is committed (a waiver of prosecution as they call it).

May 15, 2018 at 02:43PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Scenic Madeira autumn escape 4nts from £349pp - incl. 4* hotel, flights & breakfast

Ahoy mateys! We've spotted this awesome getaway to the 'Pearl of the Atlantic', namely the island of Madeira where you can swim in the totally Instagrammable lava rock pools in Porto Moniz. You'll be staying at 4* Aqua Natura in Porto Moniz, overlooking the gorgeous natural phenomenon only a few steps away! Holiday details Travel… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

London cabbie saves the day for Damon Albarn

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Damon Albarn had a bit of a lucky escape after leaving his laptop in the back of a London taxi.

Blur and Gorillaz frontman Albarn, whose last release was the 2017 Gorillaz album Humanz, had the master copy of the new Gorillaz album stored on his laptop.

Albarn jumped into a Black cab after leaving the Groucho Club in Dean Street, London, however upon leaving the taxi, he left the laptop on the back seat of the cab.

Losing the laptop could have cost the group a substantial amount of money, running into millions of pounds.

Thankfully the laptop, with the new album scheduled for release next month on it, was returned to its rightful owner by the honest taxi driver.

May 15, 2018 at 01:51PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Flights to Sydney, Australia from £574rtn with Virgin - incl. luggage & meals

Strewth pirates! Today our Flights Finder is offering some lovely deals to Sydney during the southern hemisphere summer - the ideal time to fly out for a barbecue! You'll be flying to Australia with Virgin Atlantic/Virgin Australia, a superb option for long haul travel. We've seen a variety of dates between September 2018 and February… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Tempting Tenerife: 7nt holiday in July from £240pp - incl. resort & flights

Time to get summer sorted pirates! Spend 7 nights in Tenerife with the help of our Holiday Finder. You'll be staying at DC Xibana Park in Puerto de la Cruz, with flights included from several UK airports. Dates in July start from £240 per person, based on 2 sharing, when temperatures out there reach the… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Greek group getaway in Kos from £153pp - 14nts hotel, flights, luggage & transfers

Ahoy pirates, another bargain Greek getaway has arrived, you will head to Kos for 2 weeks for the mega cheap price of £153 per person! The Kos holiday is based on 4 sharing but can be adapted if you wish to travel as a couple. Holiday details Travel duration: 14 nights Example date: 22nd May… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

"Moving forward in a new direction" Uber release latest PR push before London court case

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May 15, 2018 at 11:31AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Flights to Krabi, Thailand from £392rtn on 5* Qatar Airways - incl. luggage & meals

Pack your bags and hit the beach pirates! Our Flights Finder is offering some great fares to beautiful Krabi in Southern Thailand. Flights are with Qatar Airways, rated 5* by Skytrax and one of the best options for long haul travel. Checked luggage and inflight meals are included. There are limited dates at this price… Samcana POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Scandinavian lodge stay in Cornwall from £38pp/pn - incl. hot tub and log burner (sleeps 6)

Ahoy mateys! Who said you had to go to Scandinavia for the Scandi-experience? We've found this awesome wooden lodge, which is nestled in gorgeous Cornwall and finished off to an immaculate standard in genuine Finnish style. It comes with a hot tub, log burner and enough space to sleep 6 people comfortably, with plenty of… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

62 Uber vehicles impounded over a single weekend in Cape Town for breaking licensing laws

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Cape Town's Transport Enforcement Unit undertook a number of checks on Taxis and ride hailing vehicles, and within a couple of days had impounded 62 Uber vehicles for not having operating licences or operating in contravention of their licences. According to a report in the iol, one Uber driver fled the checkpoint nearly running over a traffic officer. The driver was eventually caught. Although Uber have yet to confirm whether the man was driving for them, officers said the vehicle had a clear Uber logo on the windscreen as all their drivers do. Uber Technologies Inc along with licensing authorities have a major responsibility to make sure all drivers comply with all applicable rules of the industry they operate in. Which licensing authority do you operate in? Do you think enough is being done to deal with rogue drivers and maintain the highest industry standards?

May 15, 2018 at 09:34AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

5* Crete luxury break 4nts from £338pp - incl. flights, hotel & breakfast

Arr pirates! We've spotted this luxurious Crete holiday placing you at the top-rated 5* Knossos Beach Bungalows & Suites right on a private sandy beach offering 3 restaurants and 3 pools. Breakfast is included in this holiday with good rates this autumn and option to upgrade, so get in! Details Travel duration: 4 nights (longer… Cee POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Unrated Insurers – Defending the seemingly indefensible after Alpha debacle

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Rating is a stick that representatives of larger insurers like to use to beat smaller rivals that challenge their dominance. The critique is often partisan and presented in a superficial manner without full consideration. “Unrated” is also a good sound bite to help the press whip up excitement in an often otherwise staid industry.Sadly these days, click-bait and sensational journalism can lead to misinformation, which can turn into smear campaigns and witch hunts when really, exposing the public to all the facts would enable them to gain a better understanding of a situation and to make their own, informed decisions.Clearly in the case of Alpha Insurance there were severe failings, ones that have had awful consequences for hard working people. My company did not deal with Alpha and I’m not seeking to defend them. However, we do work with other unrated insurers and I feel that the case for dealing with these reputable firms needs to be made.A David v Goliath Situation

What is often forgotten in the debate about unrated insurers is that Insurance remains a relationship-based business, between that of the insurer to broker, and broker to client. If a broker is able to build a good rapport with an underwriter, one that facilitates the exchange of information and enables them to negotiate openly on behalf of their clients, this can only ever be a good thing. The broker can agree bespoke offerings and deal with flexibility. Often, with large corporations, there simply isn’t this degree of entrepreneurialism or flexibility. And if there is, the delivery times can often be unworkable. Whereas unrated insurers have shorter chains of command and things get done without prohibitive bureaucracy.Unrated insurers are often smaller with lean operational overheads in comparison to their more renowned rivals. For that reason, their cost bases are likely to be lower and as a result they can regularly offer highly competitive premiums. In price sensitive markets with largely commoditised products, this may prove to be the key deciding factor in winning business.A-rated companies can fail, too

Another important point is that since the collapse of Lehman Brothers near the beginning of the economic crash, the value to be placed in rating agencies’ opinions is questionable. The award winning film “The Big Short” illustrated the fallibility of being overly dependent and reliant on external rating houses who have a vested interest in providing a positive outcome for those their they accredit. Moody’s put Lehman Brothers‘ investment-grade A2 rating “on review” just five days before the company was declared bankrupt. Standard & Poor’s provided American International Group (NYSE: AIG) an investment-grade A rating under a week before the insurer became nationalised. In the case of Alpha, as recently as February multiple agencies were giving their reinsurer’s CBL Corporation Limited, whose collapse ultimately lead to this crisis, a rating of A-.Also, in terms of disruption, it could easily be argued that A rated insurers often enter niche markets suddenly and exit just as abruptly. This may be due to a change in strategy or a company restructure that is determined from on high, as is often the case at large organisations. They may also enter new markets without the requisite specialist knowledge. In these circumstances, due to insufficiently informed underwriting, they are likely to suffer large losses in a short space of time and be forced to exit entirely. This leads to severe disruption for policy holders and brokers alike, with unsustainable premiums having to be hiked much to the dismay of the brokers’ client base. The broker then suffers the loss of an entire book or the challenge of rebroking each case. The impact is not on the scale and severity of this week’s pandemonium but it is still highly frustrating nonetheless.Ratings vs sustainable business practices and longevity

The bottom line is that there must be trust in any professional trading relationship. Obtaining a rating is a short cut method to obtaining that trust, albeit an expensive one with merits that are more debatable than some would have you think. A number of unrated insurers have been trading for long periods. Their longevity is based on sustainable business practices, yet their small scale cannot justify the expense of paying a rating house to accredit them. Clearly, any broker wishing to build long term relationships with their clients should investigate the liquidity and solvency of an unrated insurer before placing business with them. Otherwise, it is not just their client’s insurance premiums that they are risking but their own reputations and with it the long term future of their businesses.Unrated insurers will not be suitable for every client. There are also clearly some unrated insurers operating very close to the wind in a disreputable fashion. However, to tar all unrated insurers with the same brush and to dismiss their worth entirely is to ignore the value they bring to the market place. There is a place in the market for well run, unrated insurers.

May 15, 2018 at 08:31AM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Summer / autumn in Majorca: 7nts from £159pp incl. hotel & flights

Pirates, grab a blissful 7 nights in summer or autumn in Majorca from £159pp including the Galaxia Hotel & flights. A 2-minute walk from the beach at Can Picafort, the hotel is well-situated for exploring this lovely area of Spain. Holiday details: Travel duration: 7 nights (longer or shorter stays possible) Example date: 9th … jcrdawes POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Bargain flights to Toulouse, France from £17 return

Ahoy pirates, we have come across these super cheap flights to Toulouse in France for under £20 return. There are dates throughout June and you can travel in July for just a little bit more - use our flight finder for all flights. Flight details Direct flights Departures from London Dates spanning June Hand luggage… Lola POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

California from £470pp: 7nt family holiday - incl. direct flights & Hilton hotel next to Disney

This 4* California holiday has a lot of things going for it; the deluxe Hilton hotel is right in the heart of the Anaheim theme park action, it includes direct flights from the UK to Los Angeles and it has both indoor and outdoor pools for chilling out in and 5 onsite restaurants to choose… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Quirky north Italy break: 4nts B&B in arty hotel & flights from £176pp - near Lake Garda & Verona

Don't let your summer end as soon as the 31st August rolls around, give yourself something to look forward to with a late season trip to northern Italy. Along with one of the quirkiest hotels we think we've ever seen, flights and breakfast are included in this deal, all for less than £180pp! What's even… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Turkey in July from £271pp: 7nt summer holiday - incl. flights, 4* hotel & £79pp deposit

Pirates, we've uncovered an absolute bargain of a holiday to Turkey this July; that's peak summer season so it's rare to see decent prices. You'll pay as little as £271 per person, based on 2 sharing for flights and 7 nights self-catering in a lovely 4* resort in Side. Book this holiday for a deposit… Niamh_UK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

mytaxi launches in Edinburgh in partnership with City Cabs

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mytaxi, Europe’s largest taxi e-hailing app, today announces its expansion to Edinburgh – the first Scottish city to join the family. mytaxi is celebrating the announcement with a 1/3 off discount for all Edinburgh passengers until the end of June. The launch marks the second city in a regional roll out set to continue over the summer.In partnership with Edinburgh City Cabs, the launch will provide not only skilled and knowledgeable drivers but a guarantee of safe, reliable, convenient and cost-effective travel for Edinburgh’s residents. Supporting and promoting local licensed taxi drivers is fundamental to the mytaxi culture as the business seeks a central role in Edinburgh’s integrated transport system.

Hannah Soll-Morris, Head of Operations and Expansion at mytaxi, commented: “We couldn’t be more excited to launch our first Scottish City by partnering with the leading operator in Edinburgh. The city is outstanding for a whole host of reasons; the beautiful architecture, the thriving business community and the exciting events calendar just to name a few. We've had an incredibly strong start to 2018 by both expanding our London business and launching in Nottingham and we’re thrilled to continue to extend our UK footprint with such an iconic city as Edinburgh. We hope that by partnering with City Cabs, mytaxi can help you experience everything the Capital of Scotland has to offer in a safe and seamless way”City Cabs Chairman, George Aird commented: “The launch of the mytaxi app in Edinburgh is an exciting prospect for our drivers. Working in partnership with mytaxi will give us access to a readily available European customers base. It’s also great to see an investment in the knowledge and skills of black cab drivers within Edinburgh”.

mytaxi is the leading e-hailing app in Europe, available in over 75 cities within 11 countries. Four mytaxi trips are accepted every one second around Europe through the network of over 120,000 drivers and more than ten million downloads.

mytaxi sets itself apart from competitors by investing in its drivers, who are not only skilled and experienced behind the wheel but host a wealth of local knowledge of the areas in which they operate.

May 14, 2018 at 03:39PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Krakow at Christmas: 3nt city break from £138pp incl. flights, Hilton hotel stay & breakfast

We realise that summer is only beginning and that you may not want to think about winter getaways quite yet. However, if you get in there early enough you can pick up some great Christmas market city trip barrrrgains, like this 3 night city break to Krakow, Poland. Staying in the Hampton by Hilton on… GemUK POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT

Private Hire Driver has his licence revoked for failing to stop after running woman over

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A private hire driver who failed to stop after knocking down a pedestrian has had his licence revoked. The driver, a Mr Alexander McMillan, claims to of not seen the woman who was hospitalised following the collision. McMillan was initially fined £400 and given three penalty points by Glasgow's Justice of the Peace for the incident, but after councillors on the Licensing Committee realised he had two other driving offences they questioned him on whether he could be considered a "fit and proper person" to hold a private hire licence. McMillan's previous two offences were talking on the phone while driving and running a red light. According to a report in the Evening Times, McMillan not only failed to stop at the scene of the incident and call an ambulance, but also failed to report the collision to the police within the legally required timeframe of 24 hours. The decision to not renew his private hire licence was made by a committee based on all his offences which showed him to be a prolific "careless driver".

May 14, 2018 at 02:11PM https://ift.tt/2ufVjKI THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT