Government needs to come up with a new way of raising money from drivers (Picture iStock/George Clerk)
The model for how we pay for our roads has been broken by the uptake of zero emissions electric vehicles. From 2030, the sale of brand-new internal combustion engine cars will be banned in the UK. That means the government has to start working out how to replace the money it makes from petrol and diesel cars.
Road repairs required but how much do you really know about potholes (Picture iStock/Lubo Ivanko)
Every year a survey of the nation’s roads reveals a depressing picture of the country’s pothole crisis. The latest ALARM survey highlights that £17m was paid to drivers in England and Wales after their cars suffered damage from potholes.
But aside from running the gauntlet of them every time you take to the road, how much do you actually know about potholes? Take our quiz to find out. We hope you learn something about potholes in the process.
This bank holiday, thousands of drivers will be hitting the road, and we’ll be here to help 24/7 if any breakdowns try to ruin your journey.
But, with a few quick and easy checks, you can help prevent a breakdown from happening. So, before you set off, give these a read (and give your vehicle a bit of TLC).
Any questions about new E10 petrol? Our expert answers them (Picture iStock/Sturti)
We’ve been getting a lot of questions about the new E10 petrol so I thought it would be useful to answer some of them.
E10 has been the cheapest petrol on garage forecourts since September 2021 when it replaced E5 as the forecourt standard. It gets its name because the bioethanol content was doubled to 10 per cent. Bioethanol is an alcohol-based fuel that is made from plant bi-products. The government chose to do this because it believes it’s a simple way to reduce the CO2 emissions from petrol cars.
Read on and I’ll answer some of the most popular questions about E10 petrol.
Do you have a favourite motorway services? A review of user ratings reveals the best (Picture iStock/Gas Station)
At some point this year, you will have to pull into a motorway services. But the kind of experience you have – supreme or shoddy – will depend on which services you use. A new survey has revealed that there’s a huge difference between the best and worst.
Car dealership Brindley Group carried out the study. It looked at user reviews on TripAdvisor, Google and MotorwayServicesOnline for all 100 of the UK’s services on our 29 motorways. Researchers then collated review marks to award an average score out of five for each site.
Number plates have been around for more than a century. How much do you know about them? (Picture iStock/MisterClips)
Today is the first of the two annual new-car registration plate changes for 2022. Number plates are such a fixture of motoring you see them whenever you look at a car from the front or back. But how much do you know about them? Take our cunning quiz to find out.
Being tired at the wheel can have potentially lethal consequences (Picture iStock/LSOPhoto)
It’s obvious driving and sleepiness don’t mix. But some new research shows just how much of a threat tired drivers can pose to other road users.
It’s not only nodding off at the wheel that can be dangerous. Tired drivers struggle to anticipate hazards, drive too quickly and aren’t as aware of other road users. They’re all the traits we associate with drink driving. Hardly surprising that statistics show driver fatigue may play its part in up to one in five road crashes.
Do you know when you should and shouldn’t use your car’s horn? (Picture iStock/PixelsEffect)
There are so many rules of the road that driving instructors can’t be expected to tell you everything. That, after all, is what the Highway Code is for.
But just in case the regulations have changed since you took your test we’re outlining some of the things most of us do, that we shouldn’t. Some can even result in hefty fines.
A warranty should give extra protection to your car but they’re easy to void (Picture: iStock/Rido Franz)
Buy a new car and by law it must come with a warranty. And increasingly, if you buy a used car, particularly if it’s manufacturer approved, it’ll also have a car warranty.
These guarantees vary in length from between seven and three years if it’s a brand-new car; between one year and three months if it’s a used car.
But they come with a strict set of terms and conditions. Drivers must abide by these if the warranty is to remain valid throughout its term. Here are five things you should steer clear of if you want to maintain your car warranty.
When it was put up in 2001, this was said to be the biggest billboard poster in the world (Picture Ford)
Ford has revealed that the next version of its once best-selling Mondeo saloon won’t be available in the UK. In the face of waning sales, Ford has decided the current fourth generation Mondeo will be the last to be sold brand new.
The inspiration for ‘Mondeo Man’, the big Ford has been part of the fabric of British society for nearly three decades. But how much do you know about it? Take our quiz to find out.
A transport revolution is underway with the adoption of battery-powered electric vehicles. Although they’re new to us, there’s nothing radical about using a fuel that isn’t petrol or diesel. But how much do you know about alternative fuels? Take our crafty quiz to find out.
There have been all sorts of alternative fuels for cars over the years. But how much do you know about them? (Picture iStock/SimonSkafar)Continue reading →
London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone is the pioneer. More are being launched in 2022 (Picture iStock/Cheekylorns)
You might have heard of London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone. But depending on where you live in the country, you’re more likely to have a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) coming to a city near you this year. We investigate what these are, what they mean to car drivers and reveal which cities are getting them in 2022.
Winter affects many parts of your car (Picture iStock/Hutchyb)
Winter is here and with the cold weather comes a whole lot of challenges, and not just for us drivers. Cars too will be suffering in the lower temperatures. Here are the different ways icy conditions affect your car and some handy suggestions for ways to reduce their impact.
From next year, local authorities will be responsible for policing yellow box junctions (Picture iStock/JikGoe)
New year new rules, at least in the UK. For 2022, there’s a bumper set of new laws that will apply to drivers. If you’ve been struggling to keep up or read about and then forgotten some of them, don’t worry. We’ve summarised them below. Read on to see what’s new for ’22 when it comes to driving.
Both children and Christmas trees should be securely fastened if you’re planning on driving with them (Picture iStock/Romrodinka)
It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to buying and carrying a Christmas tree. The British Christmas Tree Growers Association claims there are around seven million ‘real’ Christmas trees sold in the UK every year.
It’s all very well deciding you want a tree that wouldn’t look small in London’s Trafalgar Square. But if you can’t get it home, it’s a waste of money. Follow our tips below on carrying a Christmas tree successfully and above all, safely.
If you need a bit of help with ideas for presents, read on to see half a dozen (Picture iStock/Tonito84)
Whether you want to give someone a pointer towards a present you might like, or you’re buying something for a car nut, we’ve got the answer. We’ve found half a dozen affordable gifts for all age groups with stuff that’s fun as well as more practical.
This is probably the home charging dream for most people. (Picture iStock/sl-f)
New electric car sales in the UK are currently booming and the number of charging points can’t keep up.
For the first 10 months of 2021, there has been an 88 per cent increase in electric vehicles (EVs) sold compared to the previous year. Now, one in 10 new cars sold is battery powered. In October this year, 16,155 new EVs left the showroom.
Throughout the UK, according to Zap-Map, over that same period there were around 900 new charging points. That’s one charging point for every 18 cars. It’s hardly surprising that many EV drivers are looking at having a charging point installed at home. But how easy is it?
Most of us have one but take our quiz to find out more about the UK driving licence (Picture iStock/Stocknshares
The driving licence is an unsung part of many of our lives but it’s going to change soon. The government has revealed it wants all driving licences to be digital from 2024. It is developing a smartphone app that everyone will have their driving licence on.
To celebrate the impending demise of the driving licence, take our cunning quiz to see how much you know about it.
Splash someone intentionally by driving through a puddle and it could cost you a lot of money (Picture iStock/Helivideo)
Owning and driving a car is already an expensive business. But there are various motoring offences that could make it even pricier if you commit them. We’ve hunted down a selection of the four-figure fines that you could be hit with for driving, car and admin infringements.
You might be surprised to read that some fines for what might seem like fairly petty offences are actually quite hefty.
SEAT Leon was overall Towcar of the year 2022 (Picture Caravan and Motorhome Club)
If you’ve considered caravanning as a holiday you’re not alone. Numbers taking holidays in caravans were increasing even before the pandemic. And in some months during 2020, caravan sales increased by up to 70 per cent compared with previous years.
To help drivers pick the best cars for their caravanning needs, the Caravan and Motorhome Club (CAMC) holds its Towcar of the Year competition. To find the winner of this year’s award, it tested 32 cars in 11 categories. It then narrowed these down to one overall winner. Read on to see the best cars for towing.