Saturday July 25 is the day experts claims drivers are most likely to crash (Picture © TyreSafe)
Summer is the time drivers are most likely to come to grief on Britain’s roads according to a new road safety warning. The latest research shows that this year, Saturday July 25 at 11am is the most likely time for drivers to have a crash. Continue reading
Windscreen wipers have come on a bit since these. They’re more efficient now as well as being simple to change
Windscreen wipers are vital because good visibility is one of the most important elements of driving. If you can’t see a hazard, you can’t avoid it. Like tyres, oil and filters, windscreen wipers wear out over time. The good news is it can be fairly straightforward to change them. Your car’s handbook is a useful ally here. But if you struggle, a wiper is far too important to take risks with so ask a friend who knows what they’re doing, or your local garage to help. Continue reading
Road casualties have gone up for the first time in 17 years prompting calls for government action
As road casualties increase, the government is coming under pressure to review and reinstate ambitious crash reduction targets. A report by road safety charity Brake, along with partner the insurer Direct Line, highlights some of the reasons behind the first rise for 17 years. Factors include an increasing use of the internet while at the wheel and young drivers being more likely to text while driving. As a result of the report, Brake has come up with a series of suggestions for the government to pursue. Continue reading
Volkswagen claims its Golf Bluemotion can do 88.3mpg. Drivers struggle to achieve that in the real world but it isn’t VW’s fault (Picture © Volkswagen)
Car fuel economy is one of the things drivers complain about the most. It’s not that modern cars aren’t economical. They are. But car makers claim they’re much more frugal than is actually the case. The reason for the inaccuracy is all down to the way car economy is tested. But that is about to change. So, are we likely to see cars finally living up to their makers’ consumption claims? Continue reading
A bulge like this in a tyre is illegal and could cause a dangerous blow out
Millions of drivers are taking to the road with dangerous illegal tyres. A new survey suggests that one in four cars and light commercial vehicles on Britain’s roads will have an illegal tyre at some point during 2015. With 35.3 million vehicles on our roads that means nearly 10m could have dangerous illegal tyres. Here’s what you should look out for to prevent becoming one of them. Continue reading
The Roberts family – dad Alex, Kit, Holly and mum Vicky – found out the expensive way how valuable European breakdown cover can be
When the Roberts family set off last summer from their home in Lamberhurst, near Tunbridge Wells in Kent, they couldn’t wait to reach the ferry terminal at Dover, board the boat and begin their summer holiday in France. But the excitement of grabbing dinner in the ship’s restaurant ahead of a drive to Montignac, in Dordogne, soon faded: Mum, Vicky and Dad, Alex realised that each had thought the other had arranged European breakdown cover. Continue reading
Dealing with the right person can get complaints sorted quickly and amicably (Picture © Nissan)
Exactly how you complain if you’re having a problem with your new or used car will have a direct impact on the results you get. As a nation, the British aren’t great at complaining. However, sometimes it has to be done. After all, a car is a significant financial outlay. The very least we should expect is that it does what we paid for it to do without fault. But inevitably things will go wrong. Here’s what you do to make the best of those setbacks. Continue reading
Checking whether the car you want to buy should be reliable is easy to do (Picture © Mazda)
It used to be one of the most difficult questions to answer for a car buyer – what is the most reliable car money can buy? Yet is has always been one of the most important too, as no driver wants to invest their hard-earned cash in a car that’s going to be as temperamental as a toddler. Continue reading
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
The camera in the car’s grille lets the driver see round corners without pulling out (Picture © Ford)
Thanks to Ford’s front camera, drivers will be able to see round corners at previously blind junctions. It’s hoped the new technology could prevent accidents caused by drivers edging out in order to see if their path is clear. With Ford’s front camera, drivers just have to inch the nose of their car out at the junction. The camera, installed in the front grille, then offers a 180-degree view of approaching traffic. It means drivers don’t have to put themselves, their cars or other road users in jeopardy when they want to pull out. Here’s how it works. Continue reading
You’ll need an extra number plate if you are towing a caravan or trailer (Picture © Tow Car of the Year)
You might think that replacing a missing or broken number plate would be as simple as visiting a local car spares store and handing over a few pounds for a freshly laminated number plate. But to protect drivers from unscrupulous criminals there are legal requirements that mean everyone must produce certain identity and vehicle registration documents before a registered number plate supplier can make up a replacement number plate. Continue reading
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
Best-selling battery car is the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (Picture © Mitsubishi)
Plug-in electric cars are being considered by most people as their next car. A study by the Government’s Go Ultra Low (GUL) has found that 67 per cent of drivers want to own a battery-powered car. Three quarters of drivers said that running costs were the biggest consideration when choosing their next motor. The GUL report also cites the style and convenience of electric models. But are electric cars really the right choice for cost-conscious drivers? We look at the pros and cons: Continue reading
SUVs like this Mazda CX-5 are available as company cars (Picture © Mazda)
Choose the best company car for your needs and it could save you hundreds or even thousands of pounds over the time you run it. And that could make this perk – surely one of the best there is – even better. Continue reading
There’s a vast choice of vans which can make buying your first a minefield (Picture © Ford)
Buying your first van is as big a milestone as getting a first client or signing off a company logo for many business owners. Along with sound management and manpower, a van can be one of the fundamentals of business, transporting personnel, products or tools. Continue reading
How Jaguar Land Rover’s pothole spotting car works (Picture © JLR)
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has come up with a pothole spotting car in an effort to prevent harm to vehicles and people. It’s currently estimated that wheel, tyre and accident damage caused by potholes costs the UK around £20m every year. Eventually, JLR hopes information collected by scanners on individual vehicles will transmit information to other cars and beyond. This could enable councils to fix damage to their highways as quickly as possible, saving money and possibly, lives. Continue reading
In sunny weather, drivers of convertible cars should apply suncream – whether the roof is open or closed (Picture © Ford)
The arrival of the sun comes with a serious risk for drivers and their passengers: skin cancer. Drivers of cars with a convertible roof will already be aware of the harmful side effects of the sun’s rays. But studies in the US (where cars are left-hand drive) have discovered that for drivers, the left side of the head, neck, arm and hand receive up to six times the dose of UV radiation as the right side. This makes drivers more susceptible to skin cancer on their left sides. In the UK, where cars are right-hand drive, driver’s right sides will be more vulnerable. Read our guide to this invisible problem and how to guard against it. Continue reading
Better driver training and a new test could cut casualties (Picture © Ford)
Driving test changes are being called for as the existing test hits 80 years-old. The insurance industry along with other experts are calling for alterations to bring it in line with driving conditions in the 21st Century. The driving test was made compulsory in April 1935. At the time, annual vehicle sales were measured in thousands rather than millions and car top speeds were bound by vehicle limitations rather than motorway speed restrictions. However, apart from including a written theory section, the driving test has barely changed over the intervening eight decades. Continue reading
Changing a wheel should be quite straightforward. Follow our expert advice to avoid common pitfalls (Picture © TyreSafe)
Changing a wheel: it’s one of the most common things Green Flag’s expert technicians are called out to fix and it’s also considered to be one of the simplest to do. There used to be a very macho perception that anyone can change a wheel and it was only people who didn’t want to get their hands dirty who called a breakdown service because they had a flat tyre. That’s nonsense. Changing a wheel can be tricky. Here’s a simple guide to de-mystify it. Continue reading
This is what it really looks like inside Peter Kay’s Car Share Fiat 500 MPW (Picture © @Conorjtwomey/Twitter)
Car share might be a comedy that gives millions of us a good laugh. But in the real world it can leave passengers feeling as stressed out as drivers. The sit com starring Peter Kay follows the twists and turns of two colleagues forced into commuting together. However, new research has revealed that a commute of just 20 minutes can be so stressful it may cause professional burn out. And in a car share situation, it’s the passengers who are more likely to feel the heat than drivers. Continue reading