Motoring

Assess your reaction time at the wheel with online instant test

Reaction time test

Drivers think texting at the wheel is a bigger safety threat than drink driving


Did you know that being a regular driver can make your reaction times quicker than not driving? Or that for some people, not having enough sleep has as much of a negative effect on their ability at the wheel as having too much to drink? The startling results come after a new internet game was released to give drivers the chance to test their reactions.

Do you have the reflexes of an 18 year old?
Click image to open interactive version (via JustPark.com).
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James Foxall 4 Comments

Winter tyres or 4×4: What’s best for cold weather driving?

Winter tyres

Is four-wheel drive better than winter tyres in the snow? (Picture © BMW)

The clocks have gone back, it’s getting dark ever earlier, and the forecasters say it’s going to be a cold winter. It means the roads are wet and greasy, or even worse, could be slippery with ice or snow. And that means regular two-wheel drive cars like most of us own can struggle for grip. It’s little surprise that so many drivers consider swapping the family saloon for a four-wheel drive SUV at this time of the year.

However, there could be a simple, more affordable approach for drivers other than forking out for an SUV, or indeed any four-wheel drive car: fitting winter tyres to their current car. Here’s how drivers can keep moving this winter.
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James Foxall 2 Comments

Young drivers: Experts say new laws needed to help cut casualties

Young drivers

One government idea is for drivers to have a minimum 20 hours of driving at night before they can take their driving test


The number of people killed on Britain’s roads increased in 2014 and young drivers are still the most dangerous category of vehicle user. It’s prompted experts to call for a review of driver training. Road safety experts say figures show one in five young drivers aged 17 to 24 crashes within six months of passing their test. And road accidents are the biggest killer of young people in the UK, higher than both alcohol and drugs. We investigate plans to reverse that trend.

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James Foxall Leave a comment

Holiday parking: How to get the cheapest and best

Holiday Parking

You’re unlikely to park this close to your plane… but there are ways of limiting the hassle (Picture © Mercedes-Benz)

Holiday parking is a reality for millions of drivers every year. Many car owners, who decide a driving holiday isn’t for them, decide to fly instead. They have to get to the airport somehow and for many, that means driving and then leaving the car while they jet off to (hopefully) sunnier climes.

However, it’s not quite as simple as that. The car is the second most valuable item in most of our lives. We need to know that wherever we leave it, it’s going to be in a secure compound and only driven if it’s absolutely necessary and by someone who’s insured. At some airports, parking can be almost as expensive as one person’s flights. Here’s how to get the most cost-effective holiday parking.  Continue reading →

James Foxall 1 Comment

Motoring fines abroad: what to do if you get a ticket on holiday

Motoring fines abroad

Great car, beautiful scenery, precious memories: driving abroad can be idyllic – unless you break the law (Picture © Skoda)

Motoring fines abroad are one way of ensuring the holiday hangover continues long after the sun tan has faded. Whether you get nabbed by a speed camera or handed a ticket for (possibly inadvertently) parking somewhere you shouldn’t, it can be an expensive business. So what are the rules? And where do you stand if a fine from abroad drops on the door mat? Our simple guide explains all.  Continue reading →

James Foxall 1 Comment

Great British Drives: Anglesey

Great British Drive Anglesey

Beaumaris Castle has been called an unfinished masterpiece (Picture © CADW)

Where? Around Anglesey

When to drive it? Spring/summer

Essential stop? Red Wharf Bay

Perfect stay: Chateau Rhianfa, Beaumaris

In Great British Drives Anglesey is a must. All the drives in our series feature dramatic scenery but North Wales moves breath-taking to a new level. The combination of mountainous countryside and only light traffic means the roads are relatively deserted and the views spectacular. However, rather than the obvious choice of driving through the Snowdonia National Park – it is beautiful and the roads are well worth sampling – we’ve gone for Anglesey.  Continue reading →

James Foxall 8 Comments

Roof boxes reduce mpg: Tests prove carriers cost

Roof boxes reduce mpg

No, that’s not an outboard motor on the back. It’s complicated test gear to prove the real cost of a roof box (Picture © What Car?)

With the Easter holiday in full swing and many drivers needing extra carrying capacity in their cars, a new investigation has proved that roof boxes reduce mpg. The test, conducted by authoritative magazine What Car?, tested a pair of popular family cars first without a roof box, then with one. Fitting the load lugger reduced economy by more than a third on one of the cars.

While roof boxes appear to reduce mpg, we’ve got some handy hints that drivers can deploy to help limit that decrease in economy.  Continue reading →

James Foxall Leave a comment

Great British Drives: the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds

Bourton-on-the-Water has been described as the Venice of the Cotswolds ( (Picture © Cotswolds District Council)

Where? Bourton-on-the-Water to Chipping Campden

When to drive it? Spring/Summer

Essential stop? Broadway Tower

Perfect Stay: Charingworth Manor, Chipping Campden
If anywhere wants to claim to be one of the most beautiful Great British Drives it will have to do battle with the Cotswolds. This route takes in some of the most picturesque towns and countryside in the British Isles with a combination of quiet and secluded valleys, streams of crystal water and high streets that will make visitors feel they’re on the set of a period drama.  Continue reading →

James Foxall 2 Comments

Driving in snow: How to prepare and stay safe

Driving in snow

Snow can make for the most hazardous driving conditions (Picture © Renault)

Driving in snow presents car owners with one of their biggest challenges at the wheel. And with an arctic blast prompting forecasters to predict snow for the rest of the week, and some reports suggesting we’ve got a month of icy weather to look forward to, it’s time to be prepared for driving on slippery surfaces.

Research by tyre maker Goodyear showed that less than half of drivers, 48 per cent, ready their car for freezing conditions. Here are some simple steps to prepare for and then actually drive in snow.  Continue reading →

James Foxall Leave a comment

Driving in fog: all you need to know

Driving in fog

Fog can cause drivers big problems. (Picture © IAM)

Being on the road in the winter can mean driving in fog which is responsible for some of the most treacherous conditions car owners face. Hardly surprising that it’s believed a large number of crashes every year are caused by poor visibility. In 2013, 60 drivers were injured (35 of them hospitalised) when 130 vehicles were involved in a series of accidents in heavy fog on the Sheppey Crossing in Kent. Here’s all you need to know about driving in fog and the steps you can take to avoid something similar happening to you.  Continue reading →

James Foxall Leave a comment

£6bn not enough to fix pothole plague

Pothole plague

Potholes have become a regular and unwelcome feature of our motoring landscape. (Picture © Warranty Direct)

The Government’s promised £6 billion over six years to tackle the country’s pothole plague won’t be enough to fix the huge backlog of road repairs, according to councils. Some local authorities claim it will take them £100m to complete work on the holes in the road that can wreck car tyres, wheels and suspension parts.  Continue reading →

James Foxall 1 Comment

Expert tips: how to drive safely in winter weather

Driving tips for winter weather

As winter sets in, drivers face a host of hazards from the harsh weather. From dark mornings to icy roads, and smearing windscreens to sudden heavy snowfall, the winter brings added challenges that are just waiting to catch out drivers.

To help ensure everyone gets to their destination safely, Green Flag turned to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) which promotes better driving, and asked Peter Rodger, its head of driving advice, to share his top 10 tips for driving safely in winter weather. Continue reading →

James Mills Leave a comment

How to clean and care for your car in winter weather

Clean and care for your car this winter

Give your car a good clean and work off the Christmas excess while you’re at it. (Picture © Autoglym)

Many drivers rarely give their car a second glance, but our motors do need a bit of TLC. So here are half a dozen ways you can clean and care for your car in the harsh winter weather Continue reading →

James Foxall 1 Comment

Perfect Christmas gifts for car fans

Perfect Christmas gifts for car fans

Track days where you drive your own car can be a brilliant present (Picture © Guild of Motoring Writers)

The perfect Christmas gifts for car fans can vary from something they’ll use on their car to something about their car or something to do with their car. It may even be their first car, if they’re very young. Or it could be an item of retro clothing that helps them turn back the years. Here are five ideas for the perfect Christmas gifts for the car enthusiast in your life.  Continue reading →

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How to get your car ready for cold weather

How to get your car ready for cold weather

You don’t need four-wheel drive to stay safe in snow – but it helps. And there are other ways to get your car ready for cold weather. (Picture © Ford)

With temperatures set to plunge this week, new research reveals how unprepared many drivers are for the onset of freezing weather. With the Met Office predicting snow in some parts of the country, along with the thermometer dropping to -5 degrees Celsius in rural areas, Green Flag shows how to get your car ready for cold weather.  Continue reading →

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Great British Drives: Yorkshire Dales

Great British Drive Yorkshire

Amazing views are guaranteed in the Yorkshire Dales. (Picture courtesy of Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority)

Where? Settle to Richmond

When to drive it? Winter

Essential stop? Buttertubs Pass

Perfect stay: The Punchbowl Inn, Low Row, North Yorks

To see another side of our green and pleasant land, try a Great British Drive in the Yorkshire Dales in the winter months. The mornings can be crisp and the winds chill but you’ll catch sight of some of nature’s most inspired efforts and arguably, some of man’s too.  Continue reading →

James Foxall Leave a comment

Great British Drives: Somerset

Plenty of views to be had whether it's inland or at the coast. This is Porlock. (Picture © ENPA)

Plenty of views to be had whether it’s inland or at the coast. This is Porlock. (Picture © ENPA)

Where? Somerset

When to drive it? Summer/Autumn

Essential stop? Tropiquaria

Perfect Stay: The Langbury, Blue Anchor Bay, Minehead

Being an island makes Britain unique among its European siblings in many ways. One of them is that it’s possible to drive from coast to coast with ease in multiple parts of the country. For a combination of things to do and beauty head to the south west and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. However, few drives in Somerset have the all-round family appeal of one that actually starts in Dorset, at the seaside resort of Lyme Regis.  Continue reading →

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Expert advice: how to cope with a motorway breakdown

Slow moving motorway traffic. But what happens if you break down in it? Read on to find out (Picture © Volvo)

Slow moving motorway traffic. But what happens if you break down in it? Read on to find out (Picture © Volvo)

Motorways might be safe roads to drive on, but they can be a nightmare to break down on. What should you do if your car conks out in the fast lane? Where’s the safest place to stand? Who do you contact and what will they do? This answers all those questions and more.

For specific advice on what to do if you break down on a Smart motorway, read this article.
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Mike Shaw 4 Comments

Great British Drives: Suffolk

Step back in time at Lavenham Guildhall (Picture © Lavenham Photographic)

Step back in time at Lavenham Guildhall (Picture © Lavenham Photographic)

Where: Suffolk

When to drive it: Autumn

Essential stop: Fishing for crabs at Southwold

Perfect stay: The Crown, Southwold

As our Indian Summer continues and the sun heads off the more typical grey autumnal days, Suffolk is the perfect destination for families who want to unwind and grab some precious, undivided time together.  Continue reading →

James Mills