Updated 02 November. Earlier in the year, MOT expiry dates were extended by six months for certain vehicles. The extension is only for vehicles that had an MOT due between 30 March 2020 and 31 July 2020. But, what does this extension actually mean? And what about MOTs due from 01 August onwards? Here’s everything […]
The UK’s six-month MOT extension might end early because of fears about increasing numbers of unroadworthy cars. Car owners are also being warned that if they don’t keep their motors in a fit state to be driven, their insurance may not cover them. In the latest report by Green Flag and road safety charity Brake, […]
Updated 03 November. If you’re a Green Flag customer and want our latest advice on what to do if you break down, please visit our important updates page here. The country is having a second COVID-19 lockdown from 5 November to 2 December. What does this mean for car owners? Read on to find out […]
The debate about smart motorways is currently raging, so I wanted to clarify Green Flag’s policy on them, and provide the latest information on what happens if you do break down on one. A quick explanation of smart motorways Smart motorways are split into three categories: Dynamic hard shoulder motorways have a hard shoulder on […]
Drivers who need to renew their driving licence, tax their car or even book driving tests might be paying way more than they have to because they’re using unofficial websites. The government is warning drivers that these websites can charge many times the official cost. Even so, the companies running them are doing nothing wrong. […]
The car industry is developing new technology faster than ever before. Here we investigate some of the great kit that will be fitted to new cars and should be available to buyers during 2020. It’s making cars ever safer and more user friendly. Read on for eight innovations that are on their way. Upgrade your […]
How many trouble-free miles has your car covered? And perhaps more importantly how many more is it good for? Records by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) show there are more high mileage Skoda Octavias in the UK than any other vehicle. That’s currently 1950 UK-registered Octavias with a valid MOT that have done […]
The government revamped the MOT test in May 2018 to make it tougher. But its first year in operation has seen a significant decrease in the number of vehicles failing the annual test. Under the previous rules, around four in 10 cars (about 40 per cent) that took their MOT every year failed it. However, […]
How good are you at knowing the cost of things? Motoring costs are crucial for most of us. And how much we pay to keep our cars on the road is one of the questions drivers will frequently ask. But do you know the prices of things associated with motoring? Our cunning quiz reveals the […]
Changes to Britain’s MOT test prove an alarming number of cars are on our roads in a potentially lethal state. Official figures show that nearly a third (32 per cent) of MOT failures were due to a dangerous defect. In numbers, that’s 1.13m cars categorised as ‘dangerous’ after failing their MOT between the introduction of […]
How well do you remember 2018? Our fun quiz looks at some of the news from the year just gone. Laws to do with car tax, the MOT test and learner drivers all changed. And there was plenty of eyebrow-raising research too. How much attention were you paying? Take our test to find out. And […]
Whether it’s hot or cold, extremes in temperature pose problems for drivers. And when the weather’s doing something we’re not used to, we need to know how to react. Here we bust seven popular hot weather motoring myths. Myth 1: it’s illegal to drive in flip flops
The MOT test changes this weekend but you can be forgiven if you didn’t know. New research conducted by Green Flag reveals that six out of 10 drivers (58 per cent) haven’t realised the MOT changes are happening. More worryingly perhaps, nine out of 10 drivers (89 per cent) are unaware that driving a car […]
Driving through mud isn’t rocket science. As you’ll see from my advice on how to cope with mud when you’re in a car, much of it is common sense. And that’s how I came to spend a day sitting at the wheel of an Isuzu D-Max pick-up truck, waiting to rescue competitors at the inaugural […]
We all know running a car is an expensive business. But exactly how costly is it? Over an average driver’s lifetime, do you think motoring will cost tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of pounds? Now we’ve got some answers. Two lots of research have come up with figures. While neither agrees with the […]
The government has confirmed learner drivers will be allowed on motorways from June this year. It’s one of the biggest single changes to the process of learning to drive since the driving test was introduced in 1935. Overwhelming approval during a government consultation led to the green light. Learners will now be able to drive […]
If your car is due its MOT this month you won’t be alone. In fact, it might be an idea to book its test in advance. Record numbers of motors are due to have their annual roadworthiness check this March in an unprecedented MOT rush. The phenomenon is prompting garage chain Kwik Fit to […]
Changes to the MOT will come into force this May, making it more difficult for dirty diesel cars to pass air quality tests. A three-tier rating for the severity of faults on all cars will also be introduced. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) claims the revisions to the MOT will make it tougher […]
There are no end of motoring myths. Most drivers will know at least a handful: sometimes they’re true, but often they’re stories that need to be shown the red light. From the speed limit on a dual carriageway, to sounding a car’s horn in the small hours of the morning, driving in flip-flops to using […]
A motorway hard shoulder can be a dangerous place to spend time. That’s why all our technicians receive comprehensive training on what to do and how to behave on the hard shoulder. While it’s part of their job to spend time at the side of the motorway, it’s also something every driver could have to […]