Protecting your information is very important to us.
We use cookies on our websites to help make your visits more effective. And by accessing our websites, you're agreeing to our use of cookies (unless you choose to block them).
This policy applies to our use of “cookies” in connection with this website.
By continuing to browse our Website without adjusting your browser settings to block cookies (for information about how to do this please see below), you are agreeing to our use of cookies.
Here's a summary of how and why we use cookies on our websites.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that contain information that's downloaded to your computer or mobile device when you visit a website.
When you visit again, or go to another website that also recognises that cookie, the website can read the information held in that cookie.
Cookies allow us to provide you with information and show you content that's relevant to you, as well as making it quicker and easier for you to use our websites.
We also use cookies to analyse how you and other people interact with our websites. So we can understand how best to improve our services in the future.
How we use cookies
We use 4 types of cookie on our websites, based upon the International Chamber of Commerce UK Cookie Guide [PDF - 315KB):
- Strictly Necessary
- Performance
- Functionality
- Targeting
Some of these are 'session' cookies – so they only work while you're actively using our website and are deleted once you close your browser.
Others are 'persistent' cookies which remain in your browser's data after you've left the website.
Cookies may also be placed on your browser by our approved business partners – these are known as 'third party cookies'.
Strictly Necessary cookies
'Strictly Necessary' cookies are essential in helping you move around our website and use its features effectively.
Strictly Necessary cookies are used to:
- identify you as logged in to secure parts of our website
- remembering information you've previously entered when completing a form
We don't use Strictly Necessary cookies to collect information about you for marketing purposes or to track your internet activity on other websites.
If you choose to disable these cookies, we can't guarantee that you'll be able to use all the features of our websites.
Some examples of Strictly Necessary Cookies used on our websites are:
| verlingue_session | A session cookie is required to follow your progress through the website. It is essential to ensure that any information you enter or routes you take are remembered by the website. Without this cookie, every page you visited would treat you as a completely new visitor. This cookie does not identify you personally and is not linked to any other information we store about you. |
| viewed_cookie_policy | The viewed_cookie_policy cookie is set to “yes” when the Cookie law info bar has been viewed and accepted. Session cookie?: No Duration: 1 year |
Performance cookies
Performance cookies collect information about how people use our websites. They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how you move around our websites.
By using performance cookies, we're able to understand how best we can improve our services to make it easier for you to find your way around our website.
But performance cookies don't collect any information that could identify you. Any information that is collected is either anonymous or pseudonymised.
Our use of Performance cookies includes:
- analysing how people use our website
- recording any errors that occur
- testing different designs of our website
- measuring the effectiveness of our advertising
You can block performance cookies by using the 'Tools' or 'Preferences' menu in your browser's settings.
Some examples of Performance Cookies used on our websites are:
| _gat | This cookie name is associated with Google Universal Analytics, according to documentation it is used to throttle the request rate - limiting the collection of data on high traffic sites. It expires after 10 minutes. |
| _gid | This cookie name is associated with Google Universal Analytics. This appears to be a new cookie and as of Spring 2017 no information is available from Google. It appears to store and update a unique value for each page visited. |
| _ga | This cookie name is associated with Google Universal Analytics - which is a significant update to Google's more commonly used analytics service. This cookie is used to distinguish unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. It is included in each page request in a site and used to calculate visitor, session and campaign data for the sites analytics reports. By default it is set to expire after 2 years, although this is customisable by website owners. |
Functionality cookies
Functionality cookies are used to help us display different types of content (such as videos) and to remember choices you make to help us provide you with relevant content on our websites.
Our use of functionality cookies may include:
- remembering preferences you've selected when using our websites, such as language
- providing services you have asked for such as watching a video
We do not use functionality cookies to target you with adverts on other websites.
You can block functionality cookies by using the 'Tools' or 'Preferences' menu in your browser's settings. But we may not be able to show you certain types of content or remember your preferences if you do so.
Targeting cookies
Targeting cookies records the web pages you visit and the links you select while you're using our website.
We use this information to help us understand what kind of content you're interested in and to provide you with services or products most relevant to you.
We may use this information to trigger direct communications to you such as marketing emails (unless you've opted out of receiving marketing materials from us) or service support communications.
Targeting cookies may also be placed on our website by our approved business partners (e.g. a Facebook 'like' button on one of our articles).
You can control whether or not targeting cookies are used via your browser's settings menu. However, we may not be able to offer you certain functionality if you choose to block them.
Some examples of Targeting Cookies used on our websites are:
| SID | This cookie is used by Google in combination with HSID to verify a Google user account and most recent login time. |
| HSID | Used by Google in combination with SID to verify Google user account and most recent login time. |
| VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE | This cookie is used as a unique identifier to track viewing of videos. |
Controlling cookies
You can choose to block and delete cookies from any website using the 'Tools' or 'Preferences' menu in your browser's settings.
However, if you block all cookies (including Strictly Necessary cookies), you may not be able to access all or part of our websites.
Remember that if you share a computer with someone else, their experience may also be affected if you choose to block certain cookies.
Other technologies
Cookies within mobile applications
Our mobile apps (such as Roadside Helper App) only use Strictly Necessary cookies.
These cookies allow the apps to work effectively – so if you choose to block them, you may not be able to use the apps at all.
These cookies aren't shared with any other application on your mobile device and we never use them to store personal information about you.
Flash cookies
Flash cookies make it quicker and easier for you to access websites that use Flash technology. Deleting these cookies means you may have to re-enter information each time you visit the same site.
Deleting cookies in your browser will not delete flash cookies automatically, but you can block them by going to the 'Settings Manager' in your Adobe Flash Player.
Pixel tracking and audience pixels
Certain parts of our website may contain pixel tags (sometimes known as beacons, web bugs, tracking pixels and more). These allow us and other service providers to:
- collect information on our websites and emails (such as how many people opened an email we sent)
- provide relevant advertisements and communications depending on your preferences
Key third-party cookies
DoubleClick cookies
Doubleclick is Google’s real time bidding advertising exchange. Some of our web pages may contain electronic images that help us see how users interact on these pages. They may also provide DoubleClick with information about the interaction.
Google Analytics
Our websites may use Google Analytics, a service that helps us to analyse what how users interact with our websites.
If you'd prefer not to make your site activity available to Google, search for Google's 'opt-out browser add-on' online. This browser plug-in will stop any site from sharing your activity with Google Analytics.
Youtube
YouTube is a Google owned platform for hosting and sharing videos. YouTube collects user data through videos embedded in websites, which is aggregated with profile data from other Google services in order to display targeted advertising to web visitors across a broad range of their own and other websites. This cookie is used by Google in combination with HSID to verify a Google user account and most recent login time.