How cars behave in crashes is fundamental to which insurance group they are in (Picture iStock/monkeybusinessimages)
If you’re thinking of changing your car, how much you pay for insurance may be important to you. To help with this, all cars sit in insurance groups. Knowing about a car’s grouping will enable you to do an accurate, back-to-back comparison with other models you might be interested in.
Read on to find out what an insurance group is and how to find out what group a car is in.
Many MOT testing stations are open for business (Picture iStock/Marbury)
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, an alarming number of drivers revealed gaps in their knowledge about vehicle maintenance. Around one in 10 drivers (9 per cent) claim they never carry out any vehicle safety checks.
One in four (27 per cent) said they care for their car just once a year. More worryingly, a fifth of drivers (20 per cent) said they’d knowingly driven an unroadworthy car.
We investigate why the MOT extension might end early and how you can ensure your car is roadworthy.
The price of filling up is falling but how far will it go? (Picture iStock/AscentXmedia)
The petrol price is plummeting to below £1 a litre. However, some believe there’s room for it to fall further.
Since the beginning of the year, the price of crude oil – the raw material used to produce petrol and diesel – has more than halved. But although the cost of petrol at the pumps is falling, it hasn’t kept pace with rapid drops in oil prices. Here are two reasons why fuel prices might stay higher than you’d expect.
British cars celebrate some major birthdays this year. Test your knowledge of them (Picture iStock/Lalocracio)
This year is a bumper one for British cars. Motors that are well known to this day, such as the Range Rover, Morgan Plus 4 and Jaguar E-Type celebrate significant birthdays in 2020. And several other models that car fans hold dear to their hearts have anniversaries too. Find out how well you know your British cars by taking our cunning quiz.
Charging your vehicle’s battery is a much more efficient way of keeping your car running than jump-starting it once the battery has gone flat. It’s also much better for your battery in the long term.
Thankfully, with a battery charger to hand, it’s not too difficult to do it yourself. Just follow the simple steps below.
It might look complicated but checking fluids is a simple task that anyone can do (Picture iStock/Ljubaphoto)
During lockdown, there’s every chance you won’t have been using your car as much as usual. Before driving it again regularly, it’s a good idea to check it and its fluids thoroughly.
All cars rely on fluids to operate properly. And it’s simple to check oil, coolant, brake fluid and screenwash. Follow my tips for doing so below.
When you’re checking a car’s fluids, it’s important that you park on a flat surface or you may think you haven’t got enough when you have, or more worryingly, vice versa.
The majority of new cars are bought on finance. Relief is at hand for anyone struggling with repayments (Picture iStock/busra ispir)
Payment holidays for loans are an element of life we’ve had to get used to during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mortgage companies were quick off the mark to help customers struggling to pay for their homes. But what if you can’t meet car finance payments? Read on to find out what to do.
Cleaning parts such as vents using an anti-bacterial and virus cleaner will help stop the spread of the disease (Picture iStock/zoff-photo)
There are 40 parts of your car that you should consider cleaning during the current coronavirus pandemic. Ben Murphy is the man who’s responsible for keeping Toyotas in tip-top shape for the Japanese firm. He’s outlined the 40 areas that he thinks drivers should target to stop COVID-19 spreading.
The virus is spread by tiny droplets sprayed from the mouth when an infected person coughs. And it can survive on hard surfaces. That means if your car goes to the garage for emergency repairs, it might spread the virus, or on return, harbour it. And if you get the virus on your hands while out, you can transfer it to other areas of your car. That could spread it to others.
If your car is equivalent to this during its lockdown lay-up, follow our expert tips to keep it in the best shape (Picture iStock/Istanbulimages)
Updated: 07 April
With lockdown measures easing across the country, you may be using your car for the first time in a while very soon.
If you’ve not been driving regularly during the COVID-19 lockdown, your car may need some attention before you hit the road. That’s because some car parts rely on regular use to stay in tip-top shape.
Follow these tips and there’s a much greater chance your car will start first time after a lockdown lay-up.
An all-to-familiar sight on England’s roads. Read how to claim for the damage (Picture iStock/kozmoat98)
We may not be driving much at the moment but after the warm wet winter, the pothole problem for drivers is still a motoring headache.
A new report has revealed that road maintenance budgets in England have fallen; there are now fewer roads than last year described as being in ‘good’ structural condition; and the rising backlog of repairs means billions of pounds are still needed to bring local roads in England up to scratch.
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 about MOTs, what’s happening with petrol stations, and what other motoring services are and aren’t available.
The shape of things to come? Hyundai’s Nexo is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell (Picture Hyundai)
You might have heard the term hydrogen fuel cell car and wondered what it was. It’s an eco-friendly alternative fuel that’s already on sale, and which some claim represents the future of motoring. There is certainly a growing shift for car makers to develop this new tech. But how viable is it? Read on to find out all about fuel cells.
In April 2020 the latest James Bond movie No Time to Die was supposed to open. Although postponed until November because of the coronavirus, like every other Bond film it’s bound to feature evil baddies, nail-biting stunts and thrilling car chases.
But for many, the Bond cars themselves will be a vital ingredient to the movie’s success. In the latest film, 007 drives an Aston Martin again. But think back to the motors in the special agent’s previous 24 adventures. How well do you know your Bond cars?
From 2032 this could be the reality for new car buyers (Picture iStock/PlargueDoctor)
Electric cars are the future of motoring. The government has revealed that petrol, diesel and hybrid cars will be banned from sale by 2035 at the latest. And it is aiming for new car sales to be all-electric by 2032.
It’s certainly an ambitious target but is it possible? In 2018, the Confederation of British Industry described making electric cars affordable as ‘the biggest challenge since the space race’. Has it got any easier since then? And will car companies be able to cope with the added demand? Read on for some answers.
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 shouldermotorways have a hard
shoulder on the left-hand side; however, it can be opened for traffic to ease
congestion.
Controlled motorways will have variable speed limits
shown on screens above the lanes themselves.
All lane running motorways don’t have a hard
shoulder, as every lane is used for traffic. You’ll find yellow-painted
‘emergency refuge areas’ every 600m to 1.5 miles. Any driver can use these
areas if there is an emergency or they break down.
If you ever see a red X on the screens above the
lane, that means the lane is closed. There may be a breakdown or people working
on the roadside. Do not drive on this lane until told otherwise (you’ll usually
see the red X replaced with a speed limit).
What to
do if you break down, but can still drive your vehicle
If you know there’s a problem, but you’re still able to
drive safely, try and leave the motorway and then contact us.
If this isn’t possible, then either use an emergency refuge
area or move to the left-hand side of the motorway.
Use an emergency refuge area:
If you’re unable to leave the motorway, aim for one of the emergency areas. As these areas can be up to 1.5 miles apart from each other, it’s worth noting when you last passed one so you can work out how close your next area is.
When you’re in an emergency area, make sure your hazard lights are on (as well as your sidelights if visibility is poor). Also, leave room behind and in front of your vehicle to allow emergency vehicle access.
Every emergency area has a phone that you can use to contact the local highways agency or the police – you’ll be automatically directed to them.
You can also call them from your mobile:
If you’re driving in England, call National Highways on 0300 123 5000.
If you’re driving in Scotland, call Traffic Scotland on 0800 028 1414.
If you’re driving in Wales, call Traffic Wales on 0300 123 1213.
If you’re driving in Northern Ireland, it’s recommended you call the police on 999.
If you’re safely in an emergency area, call the local highways agency before you get in touch with a breakdown cover provider. If you can’t safely leave your vehicle, or if you can’t get to an emergency area, call 999 immediately.
Move to the left-hand side of the motorway:
If an emergency area is not available, but you can still drive, the next best thing is to move to the left-hand side of the motorway. Use a hard shoulder if it’s available, or get your vehicle as close to the left-hand verge, boundary or a slip-road as possible.
If it’s safe to, have everyone leave using the left-hand doors, and if there’s a safety barrier, get behind it. Move away from the vehicle and stay at a safe distance from the motorway.
As your vehicle is not in an emergency area, call 999 as soon as you can. Make sure you call 999 before contacting your breakdown cover provider.
What to
do if you break down on an active lane
What happens here depends on what lane you are in.
If you’re on the left-hand lane (lane one):
If you break down on the left-hand lane (also known as ‘lane one’), we will be able to come to your rescue. However, there are some steps you need to take to stay safe.
Where possible leave the vehicle by the left doors and follow the instructions above.
If this is not possible, and you can’t safely exit the vehicle, then do the following.
First, make sure your seatbelt is left on and that you’ve put on your hazard lights. Second, call the police on 999 immediately. They’ll work with the local highways agency to close the lane (using the red X mentioned before) to help keep you safe.
We will come to your rescue, with the help of a fend-off
vehicle. This vehicle will sit further back on the lane to help shield you from
other vehicles. This fend-off vehicle will come at no extra charge to you.
We will never attempt fix a problem on the lane. We will tow
your vehicle off the motorway to somewhere safe. This minimises the amount of
disruption to other traffic and enables our technician to inspect your vehicle
safely.
If you’re on lanes two, three or four:
Breakdowns on these lanes need to be dealt with by the police or the local highways agency, as all lanes will most likely have to be closed.
If you’re unable to move to any of the areas previously mentioned, remain in your vehicle with your seatbelt and hazard lights on, then call the police immediately on 999. If you’re unable to call, stay calm. Smart motorways have control centres that use cameras to monitor the motorways. They will see the problem and will work to get you help as soon as possible. However, always call the police immediately if you are able to.
The
future of smart motorways
The smart motorway debate is an ongoing one.
At Green Flag, our priority is – and always will be –
customer safety. That’s why we’re an active member of SURVIVE (Safer Use of
Verges In Vehicular Emergencies). This is an industry body made up mainly of
government agencies and breakdown companies.
I personally sit on this, and we regularly discuss all areas
of the breakdown process from the industry’s perspective.
We’re currently debating how well Highways England, which
manages the motorway network on behalf of the Government, can support us in trying
to increase driver awareness about smart motorways.
In the meantime, I’d like to reassure all drivers that we’re
doing all we can to help ensure smart motorways are as safe as possible for everyone.
Unofficial websites can charge many times what the official sites cost for simple admin tasks (Picture iStock/Rowan Jordan)
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.
Cars monitoring their driver for tiredness is becoming increasingly common (Picture Mazda)
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.
The Royals are rarely far from the headlines. And like the rest of us they use cars to get around. But despite their global fame, how much do you know about the Royal cars? Take our cunning quiz to find out how well you know the motoring habits of the most famous family in the world.
New MINI has much more kit that its 60-year old predecessor (Picture MINI)
If you’ve decided 2020 is the year you’ll upgrade your motor, you could be in for a nice surprise. On paper, cars might look scarily expensive. But they’re actually more attainable for most of us than they’ve ever been. And new research suggests they offer better value for money too.
When we buy a modern car, there’s a very good chance it’ll be safer, comfier, more reliable, better equipped, more environmentally friendly and use less fuel than its equivalent from previous decades.
Car maker Mini has found proof of how the real cost of cars
hasn’t really increased over the last 60 years, despite dramatic improvements
in technology.