Hoot Guide to car modificationsHoot is known for offering one of the most competitive cheap car insurance services available, due in large part to the passion and experience of our staff. This website often refers to the men and women who work here as car insurance 'experts', and it's not a claim we take lightly. Between us, the Hoot Car Insurance Services team has many years' experience finding first class motor insurance for UK drivers, at prices they would never have believed possible. And in the process of establishing Hoot as a top flight cheap car insurance firm, we've become experts in a variety of other motoring fields, too. When you deal with as many drivers day-to-day as we do, you can't help answering a few off-topic questions. Soon, many Hoot staff were complaining that they knew as much about road tax, the second hand car market or the MOT test (to name but a few) as they did about cheap car insurance - and believe me, that's a lot. We decided to take this ever-growing pool of motoring expertise and do something useful with it. To that end, we created the Hoot Guides, a series designed to clue you in and answer your questions on many aspects of motoring, from car theft to congestion charges. This particular guide concerns car modifications: which are desirable, which are legal and what effect they'll have on your car insurance premiums. Mods, the law and cheap car insurance
Before we get started on the modifications themselves, it's important to realise that in the eyes of the law and any cheap car insurance firm, customising your car is rarely a desirable option.
Cars built all over the world must meet certain standards for safety, economy and emissions, among other things, before they can be exported for sale in the UK. The laws governing vehicle customisation in this country are consequently very strict in an effort to preserve these standards. They're also constantly changing, as new car models, standards and modifications are introduced - so be prepared to wake up one morning and find last week's perfectly legal spoilers or neons are now liable to get you pulled over by the police. With the possible exception of security upgrades such as an immobiliser or car alarm, vehicle mods are also bad news from the point of view of your cheap car insurance provider. That's because research carried out by the government and many independent bodies has shown that customised vehicles are involved in a disproportionate number of crashes on UK roads. It may have no effect on your own driving ability, but because of these stats fitting a car mod will change the way your provider views you as an insurance risk. Nine times out of ten, drivers who fit modifications see a rise in the price of their motor insurance quotes. Still keen on getting a custom job? If so, read on for details of some of the more common mods, and the various legal ins-and-outs involved in fitting them: Window tints: If you want to give your car that dark, enigmatic look, bear in mind the law states there must be at least 70 percent visible light through all front windows. Darker tints are fine in the back, however.
Neon lights: If dark and enigmatic isn't really your thing, try some neons. You can fit them either inside or underneath your car (like it's floating!) as long as only the glow is visible. Don't put neon bulbs anywhere they could distract you or other drivers and don't hard-wire them into your electrics system - you have to be able to turn them off independently and will be asked to do so by police if you're ever stopped.
Superchargers: If you're looking for a performance upgrade rather than a cosmetic one, how about supercharging your engine to get maximum horsepower? This increases the amount of fuel and air held in the cylinders at the moment of combustion, giving phenomenal engine power and torque. The stuff of nightmares for your cheap car insurance provider.
Sports belts: They'll keep you firmly in your seat, protect you better in the event of a high speed crash and a lot of people think they look cool. Sports belts may well be a safety upgrade, but don't expect your motor insurance provider to cut you any slack if you get some - people tend to drive more recklessly when they're tightly strapped in.
Cheap car insurance from Hoot
Whatever modifications you make to your car, you can't do better than Hoot Car Insurance Services for a great deal on motor insurance.
Because we cut out the unnecessary expenses like advertising costs and rental fees on high street shops and call centres, Hoot can offer the same standard of car insurance cover as our flashier competitors at greatly reduced prices. A customised car is probably never going to qualify for cheaper car insurance than a stock model, but at least with Hoot you'll find a rock-solid policy at a rock-bottom price, whatever you drive. Click the quote button below to find out just how cheap car insurance from Hoot could be!
|
