During my 30-years service as a police officer I attended and passed many forms of driver training courses, and qualified to a high advanced level. For around 75% of those 30-years I was a qualified police class-1 advanced driver, working on what was then called the Traffic Patrol Department. What I found irritating was the fact that despite my background and training, when buying motor insurance for my own car, I could not find a company who would give what I would term as a decent level of discount, even though I have never made a claim against my own policy - ever. In fact, I can't remember any of my similarly trained and qualified colleagues having to make a claim against their own insurance policies either. Having a balmeworthy collision wasn’t something that happened to us in our private cars, and that was living proof that better training produced better and safer drivers. However, the perception was that motor insurance companies not only didn’t appreciate this, but didn’t want to appreciate it.
Ever since 1997, since I have been involved with Ride Drive, I had been relentlessly hounding insurance companies, looking for one that would be prepared to set up a scheme specifically aimed at those drivers who took a responsible attitude towards driving, and who had made an effort to improve upon their skills, so as to reward them with a significant discount against the cost of their premiums. I have to say I found that journey to be thoroughly frustrating, and for a long time I just couldn’t seem to make progress. Yes, I received offers of a small discount percentage here and there, and this is not said with any disrespect to those involved, but it was nowhere near a level that I had in mind, or thought such a scheme deserved. The range of figures I was offerred were the at a level that anyone could achieve, just by haggling on the phjone at the point of sale. No, what I was after was a proper discount, but that did not seem to be forthcoming. I began to think that perhaps my understanding of how the insurance industry worked was somehow off-target, and that there was some vital point that eluded my comprehension that required them to never give meaningful discounts.
In my simplistic view of the world I thought that if you have a few thousand people who each buy an insurance policy, and then none of them make a claim, that is a good situation, because it means that all the money you have taken in premiums, after you have paid out wages, running costs and other expenses, the amount left over becomes your profit. However, if those people start making claims then that is bad, because that eats into what would have been a profit, and so as an insurer, you lose. That does not seem to make sense to the insurance industry, and I was beginning to get the idea they were actually quite content with customers making claims, because it provided an excuse to hike up prices. The whole thing is completely bewildering.
When I became involved with Adrian Flux Insurance, this being in December 2006, I was delighted to find that I had come across an insurance agent that lived in the real world and who was capable of thinking outside the institutional box. The more involved I became the more I liked the way these people operate. I have found they are innovative, have modern ideas, and above all else, they have a realistic approach to vehicle insurance, or at least one that I can understand. Adrian Flux Insurance seem to take the same attitude towards the insurance business as I take towards driver training, in that people like to enjoy their cars and motorcycles, and that is what real people do. Adrian Flux Insurance appreciates this, and like Ride Drive, has embraced the concept of helping people have responsible fun on the road.
I thank Adrian Flux Insurance, and in particular I thank Craig Darwin, who is on their management team, for the confidence that has been shown in Ride Drive, and the fact that as a company they endorse the concept that advanced drivers will make fewer claims. The scheme that we have launched together I am sure will not only be very popular, but will also be a great success. I am looking forward to working with this company, as I believe the future for us, and for our respective customers, is looking very bright indeed.
Julian Smith
Director – Ride Drive Limited |
