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
Halfords says it is stocking in-car dash cams to help drivers guard against ‘cash for crash’ insurance fraud (Picture © Halfords)
Increasing numbers of drivers are choosing to fit in-car cameras or ‘dash cams’ to their cars. If you don’t own one, the chances are you know someone who does, or have spotted them in other drivers’ cars. But how do you know if you should have one? And which are the best dash cams available? Continue reading
Drink driving prosecutions have been cut in Scotland by reducing the limit
The police want to slash the drink-drive limit by nearly a half amid concerns that women drivers are increasingly being caught over the limit. The Police Federation of England and Wales has called for the tougher legislation. It could mean a pint of beer will be enough to put some drivers over the drink-drive limit. Continue reading
Drivers can now specify electronics that enable cars to brake automatically (Picture © Volvo)
Electronic safety kit is increasingly available on even the smallest cars. While some equipment, such as the Electronic Stability Control that prevents spins, is standard on virtually every car, drivers have to pay extra for other gizmos. But which are worth the added expense? We look at five safety features and give our rating on whether they’re worth ticking as an optional extra or flicking as a waste of money. Continue reading
It may cost nothing for a dealer to change the headlight bulb in this Renault Captur. Or it may cost you £40. (Picture © Renault)
Changing car light bulbs used to be something anyone with the scantest mechanical know-how could manage. But as cars become ever more complicated, so replacing a broken bulb has become increasingly expensive – for some drivers at least.
A new investigation has revealed a shocking variation in the price charged by motor makers for this simple repair. Some dealers offer free bulbs, some do the actual fitting for free, and some provide both at no cost. However, others can charge upwards of £70. And there’s no uniformity across manufacturers. Continue reading
Franchised dealers often have the latest equipment and best knowledge of relatively new cars (Picture © Volvo)
Looking after a car, especially when it’s new or a driver’s pride and joy, can be a nerve-racking affair. Entrusting strangers with what is, more likely than not, one of the most expensive things any of us owns is enough to send shivers down a driver’s spine and have them turn around and head for home again. But it’s important to have a car serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommended schedule – so how do drivers decide which is the best garage to maintain their car?
This guide looks at the pros and cons of having a car serviced at a franchised dealer, an independent trader and a fast-fit chain. Continue reading
Even owners of some SUVs such as the Nissan Qashqai no longer have to pay road tax because their cars are so clean (Picture © Nissan)
Booming sales of low-emission eco cars could slash the amount the government raises from road tax. The result could mean tax increases for all but the most economical cars. Continue reading
This Chevrolet makes lost keys a thing of the past. You unlock it with your eyes (Picture © GM)
Lost car keys is a nightmare scenario for many drivers. Whether they’ve been accidentally locked in the car or stolen from a house or handbag, replacing car keys can be a major expense. However, over the past few years, it has actually got cheaper. And in years to come it could cost less still. Continue reading
Not looking after your tyres properly can see you end up in a world of sorrow (Picture © TyreSafe)
Looking after car tyres is one of the easiest elements of motoring. Yet how many times do we look at our cars and not see the tyres? Wheels yes, bodywork yes, but generally tyres can be neglected and taken for granted, even though they’re the greatest contributor to our safety on the road. Continue reading
Track days are a great way of safely finding the limit – of both you and your car (Picture © Vauxhall)
Track days are all about letting drivers have fun in their car in a safe environment away from public roads. They’re not about going faster than the next person or overtaking lots of other cars, despite what some track day regulars might insist. They’re about developing your skills at the wheel and exploring the limits of your driving ability and those of your car. Continue reading
Sadly, not all vans are as well looked after as this one (Picture © Iveco)
Van owners and drivers are being encouraged to take more care of their vehicles. It comes after research revealed many are unsafe or overloaded. A study showed almost two thirds have a serious mechanical defect. More than nine out of 10 stopped are overloaded. It has prompted a van maintenance and awareness scheme, launched by industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Continue reading
Cars might be ever more sophisticated but police still have to hunt out ones that have been stolen (Picture © Tracker)
You may think car security devices are a thing of the past. After all, less than 100,000 cars a year are stolen in the UK, a sixth of the number being taken illegally in the car-crime ridden 1990s. But a new breed of technically-savvy car thief is on the prowl.
They’re able to hack supposedly sophisticated electronic security systems in seconds meaning increasing numbers of new cars being ‘stolen to order’ by organised criminal gangs. Last month, the UK’s 10 most stolen cars were revealed by Tracker, a maker of car security devices. But even if your car isn’t on that list it could be vulnerable. The answer is to fit additional security. There’s a wide range on the market but only a limited number are recognised as being effective by the insurance industry. Here are the ones its official tester, Thatcham Research, recommends… Continue reading
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
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
Easter weekend is a good opportunity to give your car some post-winter TLC (Picture © Autoglym)
Spring has sprung and the Easter weekend presents the ideal opportunity to work off some chocolate by doing a car spring clean. Now’s a good time to do it because winter equals salt on the road, which means the car’s bodywork will have been drenched with corrosive liquid for months on end.
Not only does giving it a good clean enable you to spruce up the bodywork, it also means you’ll be up close and personal with your car and able to check for any other wear and tear. As well as regular maintenance such as checking the fluids, here are six top tips for a car spring clean that your motor will really thank you for. Continue reading