21st October 2008

Tired tyres threat to driver safety

Over 50s insurer RIAS is right behind the current campaign by tyre industry organisation Tyresafe which has proclaimed October ‘Tyre Safety Month’.

“Any initiative that helps improve driver safety and reduce the number of accidents on our roads has our full backing and support”, says RIAS Managing Director Janet Connor. “It’s vitally important, especially in winter when conditions are worse, to encourage drivers to think more carefully about those small and inexpensive checks that could help save lives.”

According to Tyresafe, more than 1000 road accidents a year are caused by defective tyres, resulting in over 40 unnecessary deaths. Tyre Safety Month raises awareness about the importance of tyre safety and educates road users on how keeping tyres properly inflated, and making sure tread depth meets the legal minimum, can help keep them safe. Throughout October 100s of participating retailers will be giving motorists a free tyre check as part of Tyre Safety Month.

As well as checking tyre pressure and tyre tread, both top of the Tyresafe agenda, RIAS has the following suggestions for making sure braking, steering, cornering and fuel consumption are all kept at their peak performance levels this autumn and winter:

• Check all engine fluids are topped up including oil, water, screenwash
• Check for cracks and chips in windscreen – replace if necessary
• Replace windscreen wipers, front and rear
• Invest in a winter start pack including de-icer
• Keep windows and mirrors clean
• Make sure all lights work – consider carrying spare bulbs
• Tuck a torch (with spare batteries) into the glove compartment for emergencies – and take a mobile phone with you on long journeys if you can.

Janet Connor, Managing Director of RIAS is available for further comment and interview. To arrange an interview with, or photography of, Janet, please call Sadie Sheppard on 01202 254489 or e-mail ssheppard@rias.co.uk

About RIAS

• RIAS was established in 1992 and is a specialist provider of insurance products for the over 50s age group
• RIAS negotiates with a panel of insurers to secure competitive, value for money products
• RIAS has over 970,000 customers and employs over 1,100 people across two locations - Bournemouth and Belfast
• In December 2007 RIAS won the ‘Personal Lines Broker of the year’ award at the Insurance Times awards
• RIAS was ranked 2nd in the 2008 Auto Express Driver Power Survey on motor insurance and was rated best for claims payout
• In August 2008 RIAS was awarded 2nd place by Which? magazine for home insurance customer satisfaction and rated best for settlement time on claims
• RIAS received a Commendation at the 2008 CCF European Call Centre awards in the ‘best people practice’ category
• RIAS was a finalist at the 2008 UK Broker Awards in the ‘Intermediary of the Year’ category
• RIAS is a finalist at the 2008 Insurance Times Awards in the ‘Personal Lines broker of the year’

RIAS is part of Fortis (Insurance UK), a leading provider of award-winning personal and commercial lines insurance solutions in the UK and the 2007 British Insurance Awards 'General Insurer of the Year'. The insurer's successful customer-centric strategy has been founded on aligning its activities to how customers want to buy insurance, combined with delivering high quality products, manufactured at costs better than market norms.

Fortis's unique multi-distribution capability enables it to deliver products face-to-face, by phone (inbound and outbound), over the Internet and via SMS technology. Aligning its business activities with its partners' general insurance strategies enables Fortis to offer end-to-end white label capabilities in product development, marketing, campaign management, sales, fulfilment and claims - providing a seamless integration with partner brands.

Insuring in excess of 6.7 million customers and working with a range of partners, Fortis is recognised for delivering consistent and high-quality customer experiences. It employs 2,901 people as of 31/12/07 with a head office based in Eastleigh and others in Belfast, Bournemouth, Gloucester, Haywards Heath, Redditch, and Stoke-on-Trent. In 2007, its profit before tax and interest (excluding impact of weather related events) was £92.2 million and its GWP was 757.8 million.

For further information please contact: Sadie Sheppard RIAS Public Relations 01202 254489 ssheppard@rias.co.uk

www.rias.co.uk

Tired tyres threat to driver safety

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