Potential Changes to Traffic Legislation

In a recent meeting of Congress, new traffic legislation has been passed that will affect motorists, cyclists and pedestrians on Spanish highways. Whilst the laws will not come into effect for some months and might need some additional regulations to put them into practice, you might want to keep them in mind when you are out and about.

Small Children may NOT Ride in the Front Seat - Drivers found to be carrying children under 1.35meters in height in the front passenger seat can be stopped and fined, unless all the back seats are already taken up by other children also under the height limit, or the car has no back seats. Taxies will also have to follow the same rules, but the parents and not the taxi driver will be held responsible for any violations, with fines up to 200euros.

Foreign Residents MUST Register their Vehicles - Until now foreign residents living in Spain did not have to register their vehicles here, but this is another change for the future. New regulations will require registration of your vehicle and give deadlines for this. This is believed to have been brought about as in current practice it is difficult to enforce traffic fines or legal controls if the vehicles are not registered.

Fines for Driving After Taking Drugs - Police won't have to prove that the use of drugs has influenced a persons driving abilities. If the results of a saliva test show drugs in the body, the driver can expect a 1.000euro fine. Prescription drugs are excluded from this.

Ban on Speed Camera Detectors and Jammers - The use of either of these items will be prohibited. Drivers caught using Speed Camera Detectors will be liable for fines of 200euros and 3 points off their licence, whilst the use of Speed Camera Jammers will entail a 6.000euro fine and 6 points off their licence. GPS devices that include Speed Camera Detectors will have to deactivate this option or users will also receive a fine.

Police Can Impose Fines Without Stopping the Vehicles - Officers will be able to fine vehicles without stopping them, if the police are performing duties that prevent them from doing so or giving chase.

And finally

Larger Fines for Drunk Drivers - In a bid to reduce the numbers of drunk drivers on Spanish roads, anyone found to be driving with double the allowed limit of alcohol in the blood will receive a fine of 1.000euros, rather than the current 500euros. If you are unlucky and get caught twice in the same year, the fine increases to 2.000euros.

There are more to come that we will advise you of in our next posting.

Don't forget we are here to help. Whether you want a no obligation quotation or some assistance give us a call on 966 493 762 or email us on info@dragoninsure.com

Free Healthcare For Early Retirees Under Review by UK Government

Some of you may have heard in the news this week that the British Government are considering axing the current reciprocal arrangements for health care for early retirees living in EU Countries. In a bid to reduce costs, the UK estimates that cancelling this service will save around 4 million Pounds per year.

Under the current system, early retirees who have made sufficient national insurance contributions can obtain an S1 form from the Department of Health in the UK, which will provide up to 2.5 years health cover in another EU country. The system was originally set up to assist those moving to a new country whilst they settled into their new home, looked for work and established themselves. If medical services were needed in the new country the S1 form would be accepted and the medical treatment paid for by the UK Goverment.

If and when the UK Government decide to axe this service, they have advised that it will only affect new applicantes. Anyone who is currently receiving treatment under the S1 scheme will continue to do so (at present anyway), until their form expires.

There have been some suggestions that the scheme will be cancelled in April, but this has not been confirmed. We will keep you posted as and when we receive additional information.

Apartment Home Insurance - Is Yours Properly Covered?

We meet many clients who live in apartment blocks and want cover for their individual apartments. Most only want contents cover, as they assume, rightly or wrongly that the buildings cover is provided by the community. Whilst in some cases this maybe true, in most you will find that isn't the case.

Most community insurance policies in Spain cover the external fabric of the building and communal facilities. They expect you, as the owner of your apartment to cover the internal fabric, walls, electrics, plumbing etc.

It is always worth checking the cover included within your community policy before you take out your own insurance. Whilst you don't want to pay for something your don't need, it is important that you are properly covered should problems arise.

Whilst this is an extreme case, if the building is demolished due to an accident, the community insurers will rebuild the block and it's communal features i.e. Staircases, swimming pool, terrace areas etc. As an owner you will receive a nice box with 4 walls and electrics/plumbing that stop at your door. Probably not quite what you had in mind!

Your individual buildings cover should include the cost of rebuilding the internal walls and adding electrics, plumbing and any other fixed features that you might have. Some policies will include kitchen and bathroom fittings as buildings, whilst others consider them to be contents. Always useful to check. In order to calculate a rebuild figure for your buildings cover, we would need to know the square meterage of your apartment, including any private terracing you may have and the age of the building.

Contents should be considered in exactly the same way as any other home, whether for permanent living or holidays. Have a look around your property and do a small calculation per room to estimate approximately how much it would cost you to replace all the items in that particular room - you maybe surprised at the outcome. Don't forget clothes, shoes and other personal items as these can mount up too, especially for us ladies. Make a note of any jewellery or items of special value, as these may need to be listed separately on the policy, depending on the value.

Feel free to contact use for quotations, information and advice. Tel: 966 493 762, email: info@dragoninsure.com or pop into our office: Calle Mercado 22bajo, 03726 Benitachell, Alicante

Are Your Car Insurance Documents Correct?

You've contacted the insurance company, made the arrangements for the insurance, paid the premium and the documents have arrived. Did you actually check them before putting them in the glove box?

It is important that you check that the basic information on the policy i.e. name, address, vehicle description and most importantly Registration Number are correct.

Why is the registration number most important?  Whether your vehicle is UK or Spanish registered the registration number will be used to register your vehicle as being insured on the MID (UK) or Trafico (Spain) databases.  It is these databases that the police use to check if your vehicle is insured if you are stopped whilst out and about. An error in the registration number and your vehicle won't show up which could result in a fine. We are all human and these things happen occasionally. Over the telephone letters and numbers can be misheard or accidentally transposed. 2 minutes just to check that it is all correct could save you hassle and money.

Recently, Trafico have been sending letters out showing the details that they have on you and your vehicle. If your vehicle doesn't have an ITV or insurance, this will also be highlighted for you to sort out.  Don't ignore it as they will follow up.

If we can be of any help or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us - 96 649 3762 or info@dragoninsure.com

Have You Booked Your 2014 Holiday Yet? What About Travel Insurance?

With Christmas out of the way and all the celebrations finished, how many of us turn our thoughts to booking our 2014 holidays? Whether hot or cold trips float your boat, do you always remember to check your travel insurance cover before you book?

Like most things in life you get what you pay for, so if you are offered cover with the holiday at a really cheap price, you can almost guarantee that the cover isn't going to be that great. It is also worth mentioning pre-existing medical conditions. If you are not asked about these when taking the insurance, you can bet they won't be covered. If you have any conditions or take any medication make sure that you mention it when arranging your travel insurance. Some companies will provide cover and some won't. It is one of the first questions we ask clients when they contact us, so that we can be sure the cover you get is correct and you won't get any problems should you be taken ill.

Check the level of cover provided under the policy for medical treatment and repatriation. I recently heard of a policy (not one of ours), where the repatriation cover was 450euros. You would be lucky to get to the edge of town with that level of cover, let alone transported back to your home country.

Valuables cover is always a good one to look at too. Don't just check the overall level of baggage cover, check the individual values as well. If you are jetting off with all your jewellery in your hand luggage, check that the value per individual item will cover the most expensive piece. If it doesn't then you have a choice to ask if the cover can be increased, accept that it won't be fully covered or leave some items at home.

If you are the athletic type you might consider some sporting activities whilst away. Always check that these are covered. Most policies won't cover professional sports or dangerous sports as standard, but will give a list of the sports that are covered. For the skiers amongst you, winter sports is usually an add on, so make sure you mention that you will be hitting the slopes.

Whatever you are planning, wherever in the world, contact us and see what we can offer you for your travel insurance. We can even cover students on their gap year.

Going Away For Christmas - Security Ideas

Christmas is just around the corner and by now most of us have our plans in place for the festive period. Unfortunately, thieves also have their plans in place too. Here are a few ideas to make sure that your plans don't coincide! If you are going away for Christmas, whether on holiday or to visit family, tell as few people as possible outside of those that need to know. We all like to chat about our plans for the festive season, especially over a glass of wine or two, but do you know who might be listening in? Arrange for a friend or neighbour to keep an eye on your property, or maybe park their spare car outside your house, so it looks like someone is coming and going. Install timers on a couple of lights and maybe the radio. At a glance it will look like someone is there. DON'T put comments on Facebook, Twitter or any of the other social media network sites. You might be seeing the grandchildren shortly or heading off to the sun, but do you know who is reading your postings and possibly rubbing their hands in glee, as they now know you won't be there. Likewise, make sure that children don't make these postings either. If you have recently purchased new electrical equipment make sure that you dispose of the packaging properly. Don't leave it outside your home or on view, you are advertising that there is something new available. If you have an alarm system make sure that you use it, even if you only plan to be away from home for a few hours, going out to dinner. It is a deterrent. Most of these things are common sense and we know that we are probably telling you how to suck eggs, but better to be safe. Most of all, have a Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year from all of us at Dragon Insurance. We will be back with more information and advice in 2014.

Home Insurance - Are You Fully Covered?

Home Insurance is one of those things that you know you should have, especially if you have a mortgage. So what do you do? Most people call a couple of companies, answer the never ending list of questions, agree the price, receive a document and shove it in the drawer until the renewal becomes due next year. Sound familiar?

Are you confident that you will be fully covered if you need to make a claim?

Like most things, you get what you pay for, so if you paid a really low premium or got the cover free when you took out another insurance, chances are the cover is minimal. It is always worth reading the policy schedule, if not the full document so you are clear what is covered and that the information on the document i.e. name, address etc are correct. If there is an error it is better to rectify it sooner rather than later. If you move or make changes to your property, advise your insurance so that the details can be updated. No point in paying for insurance on a property you no longer live in and if you have to make a claim there could be a problem.

If you have a mortgage on the property your mortgage provider will want to see a copy of the policy with their name and relevant account number listed. They will also want to see that the buildings value in the policy fully covers the outstanding mortgage. If not, they might just set up a policy for you without your authorisation, especially the Spanish banks.

Every company will ask you about security measures. Why do they need to know this and why is it important? If you state that your property has an alarm, whenever you leave the property it MUST be used. If you choose not to bother and you have a break in, then your claim might not be paid out. Not the plan.

Make sure you have the helpline number for the insurers in a convenient place. Important if you have a problem and need to contact the insurers in an emergency. All policies come with contact details on the policy or on a small card. We recommend you either add the phone number to your phone book/mobile phone, or keep the card by the telephone. In an emergency situation it's not ideal to be trawling through drawers to find the document with the phone number on it.

Contents value is something that you should consider seriously. Before calling for a quote just go around the rooms of your house and do a mental calculation of how much it would cost to replace everything, you will be surprised. Don't forget to include clothes and any shoe or handbag collections that maybe in the wardrobe. The figure will probably be higher than you think.

Whether your property is a permanent home, holiday home, rented out or being modernised, we can offer a range of policies to suit and are happy to provide any advice or information needed.