UK Car Insurance Trends 2013!

It's been a great year for us at HomeApproved! We have tweeted, posted, blogged, given away fantastic prizes on Facebook, and updated our friends and fans over the course of the last year.
As we approach the start of another year the question in our office is what are the trends and predictions for UK car insurance in 2013? We take a look below at a number of topics which are likely to feature high on the list of many drivers, journalists and industry insiders in the new year.
Black Box Insurance
We predict a big year in the UK for vehicle smartbox technology! The take-up of blackbox insurance policies in the UK is now gathering pace and will continue into 2013. With greater emphasis being placed on reducing premiums, particularly for young drivers we see this technology coming to the fore and potentially saving drivers a lot of money on their next motor quote!
EU Gender Directive
This is not a prediction! It's already here - thanks to the EU! The 'Gender Directive' came into force on December 21st 2012. In a nutshell this stipulates that insurers are not allowed to discriminate, when determining car insurance premiums, by gender. As a consequence young women drivers are sure to see their next quote rise by as much as 40%! In addition, rates for young male drivers are not falling by anything near as much, if at all!
Not More Comparison Websites?!
In 2012 Google entered the fray with the launch of their car insurance comparison offering. Having previously purchased BeatThatQuote, it seemed like a natural next step! Motorists in the UK now have a bewildering choice of where to compare their next motor insurance quote! Even post Google car insurance we are continually seeing new entrants into this market. One has to wonder what these new players can really offer/deliver over and above the established players such as QuoteZone, MoneySupermarket, GoCompare et al.
Investigation into the UK Car Insurance Market
During September 2012 the Office of Fair Trading announced that it had referred the UK's private car insurance market to the Competition Commission for further investigation. The groundswell of opinion was that motorists in the UK were not getting a fair deal on car insurance premiums. Even though the OFT has two years to complete the investigation, reporting back in 2014, we expect that through 2013 the debate will heat up as to the practices, restrictions and distortions happening in the motor insurance sector.
Tougher Laws on Drink Driving
Government proposals are paving the way to ensure individuals who drink and drive are hit harder then ever in 2013. Around this time of the year we always see an increase in the number of adverts warning of the dangers of drinking and driving. Just how effective these are is open to debate. If you are a serial offender you could face the future prospect of your vehicle being confiscated and even sold! Look out for other changes which could mean there is no longer a need to prove the driver was impaired in their ability to drive!