How to stay safe on the roads this Christmas.
If you’re travelling over Christmas, here’s what you can expect on the roads, and some expert advice on how to prepare your vehicle for the journey.
Search Results for: advice
Catalytic converter theft Why it’s on the rise and are you at risk?
The Catalytic converter or ‘cat’ is a standard part of every modern car’s exhaust system. It helps to reduce harmful pollutants in the engine’s fumes. But thefts of catalytic converters are increasing dramatically. In 2019, reported thefts of cats rose to 13,000 throughout England and Wales – up six times on the previous year. It’s […]
Green Flag app guide: booking your rescue
Unsure how to arrange a rescue through the Green Flag app? Not to worry. Here, we’ll walk you through every step. Before you can arrange a rescue, you’ll need a policy linked to your app. If you haven’t done that already, you can read our guide here. Please note, our app is not available for […]
Face coverings: should you wear one while driving?
From 15 June 2020, anyone in the UK travelling on public transport should wear a face covering to help limit the spread of COVID-19. But the rules about sporting masks or face coverings elsewhere are less clear. We look at what it means for car drivers. What is the government advice about masks?
MOT extension to end over unfit cars? Do your own vehicle health check
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, […]
Pro tips on cleaning your car to stop COVID-19 spreading
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 […]
UK COVID-19 lockdown: what it means for MOTs, breakdowns, fuel stations
Updated 03 November. If you’re a Green Flag customer and want our latest advice on what to do if you break down, please visit our important updates page here. 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 […]
Coronavirus: our latest updates
Latest update: 09 December 2021 We’re still here for you if you need us, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Keeping our customers and our team safe is always our priority. Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve been regularly updating our services and COVID procedures to make sure that everyone stays safe. […]
Green Flag and smart motorways: how to stay safe
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 shoulder motorways have a hard shoulder on […]
Cars are ‘better value for money’ than they were
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 […]
New MOT test is tougher but more cars pass it
The government revamped the MOT test in May 2018 to make it tougher. But its first year in operation has seen a significant decrease in the number of vehicles failing the annual test. Under the previous rules, around four in 10 cars (about 40 per cent) that took their MOT every year failed it. However, […]
All about Blue Badges and disabled bay parking
Blue Badges help disabled people park closer to their destination. The idea is that on the street and in special parking bays close to libraries, doctors’ surgeries or other amenities, there is parking for cars that show their driver or passenger is disabled or somehow incapacitated. How can you get a Blue Badge?
Mobile phones, shopping and fuel tank sides. Dos and don’ts of filling up
Filling up the car with fuel is (sadly) one of the most frequent things we do when driving. But what is the correct fuel station etiquette? We look at some popular dos and don’ts around refilling with petrol or diesel. Don’t be on a mobile phone
Car sickness and how to cope with it on long journeys
It’s coming up for holiday time but if there’s one thing that can spoil a long journey for all concerned, it’s car sickness. No one’s quite sure why some people feel it and others don’t. But that won’t be much consolation to whoever the victim is; whoever has to keep pulling over for the sufferer […]
Clean Air Day 2019: how to reduce your emissions from driving
Thursday 20 June was the UK’s Clean Air Day 2019. Organised by charity Global Action Plan, Clean Air Day is the UK’s largest air pollution campaign. It’s been conceived to urge people in Britain to think about how they might reduce their emissions and help improve air quality. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), […]
Punctured tyre? We look at the best solutions
Had a punctured tyre recently? If so, how did you deal with it? Chances are you didn’t change the wheel at the roadside. Not because you couldn’t be bothered but because spare wheels are considered old tech by most car makers now. More than 90 per cent of new cars are sold without a spare […]
MOT changes reveal how many ‘dangerous’ cars are on Britain’s roads
Changes to Britain’s MOT test prove an alarming number of cars are on our roads in a potentially lethal state. Official figures show that nearly a third (32 per cent) of MOT failures were due to a dangerous defect. In numbers, that’s 1.13m cars categorised as ‘dangerous’ after failing their MOT between the introduction of […]
Expert comment: our New Year’s resolutions will help prevent breakdowns
Do you keep to your New Year’s resolutions? Or do you forget them as soon as you’ve made them? No matter how quickly you give up going to the gym three times a week, I hope you’ll stick to the five resolutions here. Not only might they save you a heap of money before the […]
New data reveals the UK’s most unreliable used cars
If you’re considering buying a new car, it’s always handy to know the most unreliable models around. Thanks to data from car guarantee firm Warranty Wise, we can now see which cars are most likely to conk out, which year are the most prone to problems, what the trouble is likely to be, and even […]
Expert comment: Why the Slow down, move over campaign makes sense
If you’ve ever had to get out of your car at the roadside, you’ll know what a hostile place it can be. It’s no exaggeration to say that for some people it can be deadly. To raise awareness about this, we at Green Flag have come together with the AA and RAC to support the […]