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Cost of motoring roars ahead

Thursday, November 24th, 2011

The recent report issued by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) on the cost of running a car in the UK today, is enough to make anyone think twice before they get a motor insurance quote.

Fuel duty the main cause

According to the nationally recognised motoring group the price motorists pay to go about their business using a car has spiralled in the last 12 months. It will come as no surprise at all to motorists that driving is more expensive than ever before but the RAC reckon costs have increased by a massive 14% in the last year. The increases seem to cover every aspect of motoring but it is the fuel price that seems to have crippled long term motorists the most. This time last year petrol and diesel both cost less than £1.20 a litre, today drivers are paying on average £1.34 and £1.40 respectively. Fuel has risen in price by around 12%.

Motor insurance policies averaging over £500

The other big increase has come via car insurance cover. Unbelievably the average cost of a car insurance policy is now £550, up 14% on the year but up by over 30% on the prices in 2009. Insurance companies say the increases are due to the steep rise in personal injury claims more than anything else but say insurance fraud and uninsured drivers also play a big part in bumping the price up.

Running costs racing ahead

Overall the RAC estimate the average cost of running a car is now £6,500 a year or about £520 a month. This of course would make a massive hole in anyone’s pay packet, let alone those who are out of work or retired. The figures compared to those of four years ago show an increase of over 20% and this remember in a period of recession and austerity. Many workers have not had a wage rise since 2007 which makes the impact of high motoring costs even harder to bear.

Golden age of motoring finished

There really is little many drivers can do about the situation; fuel consumption is certainly down showing that people are cutting out unnecessary journeys. Car ownership is also down suggesting the middle classes are now managing without the “family run-around”, but in truth the golden age of motoring may well be over. Probably illustrated no better than the fact that only just over 1000 electric vehicles have been sold in the UK this year. Surely a nation keen to avoid the fuel prices imposed on them by the Government and oil companies would have flocked to the new breed of cars by now.

Tags: Car Insurance, Motor insurance, motoring costs
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UK drivers happy with MOT as it is

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

At a time when motorists are crying out for a cushion to protect them from the ever rising costs of motoring, a survey by one of the UK’s most prominent road safety organisations proves that drivers still put car safety issues at the forefront of their vehicle requirements.

Present system preferred

In a survey conducted by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) 6 drivers in 10 indicated a preference to leave the UK’s MOT certificate demands exactly as they are. The poll was launched on the back of a Ministry of Transport initiative which proposed to alter the UK MOT requirements of a test every 12 months after 3 years to the more relaxed EU checks which require the first check after 4 years and subsequent checks every two years instead of one.

Safety put before costs

At a time of soaring car insurance cover and exorbitant fuel prices one would have thought that drivers in the UK would have grasped the chance to lower their motoring costs but apparently that is not the case. Less than 3 in 10 UK drivers thought the changes to the MOT would be advantageous and 2 in 10 believed they were wrong.

MOT check will diagnose major problems

The survey probably reflects motorist’s belief in the MOT test as a fail-safe mechanism from their laziness. More and more drivers are happy to forget about car maintenance until it is a necessity, and the MOT is a necessity. Although 1 in 4 drivers suspect that garages invent a fault during the test to optimise their profits, over 6 out of 10 drivers believe the test will pick up dangerous faults.

Massive discrepancy in pass rates between UK and Europe

Amazingly, only 63% of cars pass their first MOT in the UK, while in France for example, 94% pass. Strangely enough the first check occurs a year later in France! That bare statistic suggests that drivers taking out motor insurance for the first time would surely opt for the European system, after all why should 1 in 4 cars fail a basic safety check after 3 years. Whatever the reasons behind the discrepancy, drivers in the UK have signalled their belief in the present system and it will take a brave Minister of Transport to turn against public opinion and at the same time put jobs in the motor industry at risk.

Tags: Car Insurance, MOT, Motor insurance
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Island communities set for a cut in fuel duty

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

It is a long time since motorists in any part of the UK had anything to cheer about, but it does seem now that a few thousand of the millions of drivers that can still afford to take their vehicles out for a spin, are in line for a small respite from increasing costs.

Islanders get a raw deal

People living in the outer reaches of the UK may at long last be getting a 5p per litre cut in fuel prices. Motorists on the outer boundaries of Britain have for a long time got a poor deal compared to the rest of us. Very little is spent on road maintenance and the cost of getting fuel out to the islands has always meant an extra few pence on the cost. The islanders who rarely have accidents have never done too well with car insurance cover either. Because of the remoteness of the islands the number of car insurance brokers is much less than those in other parts of the country. Less competition means prices tend to stay higher and even more prohibitive motoring costs are inflicted on the occupants of the islands.

Reduction in the pipeline

For many years pressure groups and MPs who represent the islanders have harangued transport ministers and treasury experts to make a special case for places like Shetland and introduce some sort of discounted fuel duty, at long last it looks like it may happen. According to Alastair Carmichael the Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland the Coalition Government is about to announce a 5p cut in the price of fuel for: the Isles of Scilly, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles and the islands in the Clyde Estuary.

Increase in the New Year will cancel benefits

It is thought the reduction in duty will at first be given to retailers who will be compelled to pass it on to their customers. There is no word yet whether the proposed increase of 3p a litre on fuel destined to take place in January has been put on hold. If not the hard fought campaign to get relief for the islanders will be short lived indeed.

Tags: advice for motorists, Car Insurance, Fuel price
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The day of the tortoise

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

Research out this week suggests that motorists in all corners of the UK are desperately searching for ways to cut down on driving costs.

Cost of motoring becoming a big worry

Coming on the back of a report from financiers suggesting it will soon cost £100 to fill up your car, a report from a car auction company suggests that almost half of us are considering getting a motor vehicle insurance quote on a smaller car. British Car Auctions (BCA) say customers are looking more and more at smaller cars because they are worried about fuel and car insurance cover becoming even more expensive than it is now. This was not a small survey, over 4,000 motorists were questioned and it does show how inflationary costs are now impacting on families from all walks of life. While 50% said they would look to downsize cars in future, almost 40% said they are hoping this won’t happen because the fuel duty debate next week in Parliament will result in the Government cutting fuel duty. The tipping point for 1 in 6 drivers will be if petrol reaches the £1.50 a litre mark. This is the point at which mid range family saloons will cost around £100 to fill up.

Scarcity of cars will soon become apparent

The survey also revealed that motorists also plan to keep hold of their cars longer before they exchange them and 70% of those questioned said there next car purchase would be a second hand motor. The drop in new car production of around half a million per year for the last couple of years has radically changed the used car market but it will be the next couple of years when the changes become more profound as there becomes a dearth of second hand motors available.

Small cars will be market leaders

The second wave of austerity hitting the UK now will also compound future problems. If there is a dearth of cars available, and on top of that consumers start looking for smaller sized fuel efficient cars, then we may find a situation where the industry is turned on its head. Top of the range models with all the buttons and bells will suddenly become ten a penny and basic models from reputable manufacturers will be hot properties. There is never a dull moment in the motoring business but serious discussions on the analogies of the Hare and the Tortoise fable will surprise many showroom salesmen.

Tags: car costs, car insurance cover, cost of motoring, motor vehicle insurance
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Prepare for winter weather now

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

With the great majority of motorists experiencing their first week of night driving on the way home from work this year, after the clocks were turned back an hour at the weekend, the realisation that winter is upon us will suddenly have hit home. Many drivers in the south of the country found themselves trying to manoeuvre theirs cars in snow and ice for the first time last year and the experience was not pleasant.

Warm weather can end any time now

Although temperatures are still more like early autumn, the fact that Bonfire night is this coming weekend should be enough to remind drivers that winter weather can now be upon us at any time. After last year’s miserable, freezing winter that caught many motorists out now is the time to be prepared for the coming months.

Breakdowns can happen to anyone

First of all motorists should check they have breakdown cover, most car insurance brokers can now arrange for breakdown cover to built into a normal motor insurance quote, but if it isn’t on yours make sure you arrange cover with one of the big motoring organisations. After last year’s winter, many motorists will now realise that breaking down can be entirely out of their own hands but it still won’t hurt to prepare for all eventualities.

Check, check and check again

Drivers should check their tyres, oil and fuel levels before each journey, they should let someone know where they are heading if bad weather is forecast and their car should contain several important items, including; warm clothing, a torch, mobile phone, and some sort of food and drink, a flask of soup is ideal. In the boot of the car the driver should have a shovel of some kind, many drivers found themselves in snowdrifts last year. De-icing kits and scrapers are a must and Wellington boots or some other sort of strong footwear should also be carried. Spare oil and fuel will also be carried by some.

Be prepared

It does seem a lot of fuss just for a car journey but just cast your mind back to last winter and the number of people who were stuck in their cars overnight and remember most of these items apart from the perishable goods only need packing once.

Tags: Breakdowns, Cars, snow, Temperatures, winter weather
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Speed Cameras not slow in raising revenue

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

At a time when many local authorities and councils have considered turning off static speed cameras in an attempt to save money, a national newspaper has highlighted just how much money some of the cameras are making for their owners.

Freedom of Information request reveals top earners

The Sun newspaper has managed to get statistics from the Government under a Freedom of Information (FoI) request which shows the position of cameras across the UK and how much each individual camera earns in revenue. The revelation will be especially galling for some local authorities who turned off cameras because Government cuts in budget made them financially untenable.

Cameras have divided opinion

The cameras have never been popular with motorists and motoring organisations in the UK, and faulty readings from cameras have in the past led to motorists having to pay excessive motor insurance premiums after getting penalty points on their driving licence. In contrast road safety groups claim the cameras are life savers and that there should be more of them across the highways and byways of the UK.

Camera on A1 (M) brings in £500,000

The ten cameras that turned out to be the biggest money spinners for the Government were dotted around the country, with the number 1 earner being situated on the A1 (M) in Hertfordshire. The temporary camera catches almost 800 speeding drivers a month which over a year brings in about half a million pounds in fines for the Government. It also ruins the chances of many motorists of ever getting cheap car insurance again, as the penalty points tot up. In number two spot and generating revenues of over £300,000 was a camera on the A3 near the South Coast port of Portsmouth. A camera on the A40 in London came in third whilst cameras in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Kent and the West Midlands all brought in well over £100,000 of revenue a year for the Whitehall coffers.

Nationwide figure of £100 million raised

The figures revealed that a stretch of road on the South coast near Brighton was the most likely place for motorists to be caught out driving too fast with the 11 cameras catching over 18,000 motorists, while a speed camera in Ferndown near Bournemouth did not catch one single motorist in three years. In all the 6,000 speed cameras spread across the UK generate £100 million in revenue with the top ten managing to contribute £3 million to that number.

Tags: Cheap Car Insurance, government, Money, Motor insurance, speed cameras
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Where is the spare tyre?

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Not long after an online poll of motorists who drive for a living showed just how poor their dietary habits are, comes further proof that motorists really do eat rather too much.

Fleet drivers fattening up

Earlier this month, online motoring magazine Fuel Card News conducted a survey on professional drivers eating habits, the poll was conducted on World Health Day and the results were enough to give any health dietician a heart attack. The survey revealed that almost nine out of ten drivers ate unhealthy fast foods and fatty snacks while they were in the cab, with one in four of them even admitting to eating the food while driving, even though it is illegal.

Top marques getting wider

It seems it is not just professional drivers and tradesman who fill themselves with unhealthy food while they are driving, if news from a clutch of top notch motor manufacturers is anything to go by. According to statistics gleaned from major motor manufacturers Porsche, BMW and Mercedes, drivers getting motor vehicle insurance on one of their models will be buying a car that is considerably wider than it used to be. The German manufacturers say they are now building cars up to a foot wider than they used to be simply because the driver behind the wheel needs more space to house his considerable frame.

Heavier too!

The science behind the design was revealed by BMW engineers who analysed the mobility of 800 volunteers in cars at their engineering and development plant. The result of the tests showed that car insurance brokers are now insuring cars that are not only wider than they were 50 years ago but twice as heavy. The engineers explained that obese drivers need more room to keep proper control of the car, need wider doors to access the vehicle safely and need more weight in the structure to support their own weight.

Of course cars are also heavier for basic safety reasons, but it does seem as more and more manufacturers are stopping putting a spare tyre in the boot of the car for economic reasons, motorists and passengers inside the vehicle have plenty of spare tyres of their own.

Tags: car insurance brokers, Food, motor insurance quote, motor vehicle insurance, motorists, survey
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Who didn’t win an award?

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

The Scottish car of the year show took place over the weekend and if motorists north of the border were wondering exactly what sort of car they should get motor insurance quotes on, then they may be more confused than ever after attending the show.

List of winners was endless

The list of winners seemed endless and anyone looking to purchase a new vehicle really was spoilt for choice. Should they opt for the new Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet, which took the open top car of the year award, or maybe they should consider the Range Rover Evoque which won the SUV/Crossover section. Going down a gear or two motorists looking to get car insurance cover on a supermini could easily have fallen for the charms of the Kia Picanto, the winner of the best small car prize. The best family car award went to the all new Ford Focus, and no, that is not the end of the role of honour. Seat also managed to win two awards, the Ibiza E Ecomotive taking the best car in the ECO section and the SEAT Alhambra winning the MPV car of the year accolade.

And there’s more

John Murdoch, the President of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers, presented many of the awards at the ceremony which was held at the Thistle hotel in Glasgow and by the end of the night his hand must have been aching from all the handshakes. On top of those awards already mentioned the Hyundai i40 tourer was named best estate car of the year and the Peugeot iOn voted the best electric car of the year.

Don’t forget Jaguar

It is amazing that all the bouquets managed to be handed out on the same evening because I may have forgot to mention that Jaguar also won a best car of the year award, well three actually. The JaguarXF was named best diesel car of the year, the Jaguar E-type, the most iconic car of the last 50 years, and the Jaguar XKR-S managed to throttle away with the best sports car of the year prize. Of course there also had to be an overall best car of the year award, which went to the Range Rover Evoque.

Tags: car insurance cover, motor insurance quotes, The Scottish car of the year show, vehicles
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Conflict between residents and business now commonplace

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

Controversial council plans that would limit the amount of time a driver can park on a busy Middleton town centre street have moved another step closer. Council officers are preparing to visit the street and to draw up plans to curtail parking in the vicinity. It is a process being played out across the towns and cities of the UK where motorists are finding it ever more difficult to place their car where they want it to be.

Residents can’t park outside their homes

The proposals put forward would see a residents-only parking scheme introduced, after householders have complained about the increased number of commuters and shoppers who are using the street as a free car park. However, as in most cases the issue at Middleton is not that straightforward. Local businesses that have traded for years are now concerned the new parking permits will kill off their business.

Business fears having to relocate

In Middleton a local veterinary practice has operated in the street without a problem for over 30 years, the vets understand that homeowners want to be able to park their cars outside their homes but feel a blanket ban on other motorists does not reflect fairly on their business or their customers. The surgery feel a one-hour limit for parking for a non-resident would solve the problem and would have a minimal effect on their business. Asking a pet owner to walk from a paid-for town centre car park with an ill animal must be classed as unreasonable.

Between a rock and a hard place

Local councillors are aware something needs to be done to make sure local residents are able to park their vehicle outside their own home. With premiums increasing each year on a motor insurance quote, car owners do not want to have to park a street away from where they live as this would increase the chances of theft and an unwanted insurance claim. Rochdale Council is now at the official survey stage where the highways department will put together a scheme to stop the problems that local residents have had for some years. It is for sure the outcome will not please anyone and for motorists who already pay out large sums in road tax and car insurance cover the fact that they now have to pay for parking to visit a surgery will not go down well.

Tags: businesses, car insurance cover, car parking, motor insurance quote, residents
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Top marques go east

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

Mid range, mass producing motor manufacturers across the globe continue to pursue green technologies in their quest to lower carbon emissions in their vehicles. Companies like Nissan, Ford, Renault and Toyota are constantly beseeching consumers in Europe and North America to consider getting car insurance cover on one of the new breed of zero emission cars in a bid to boost the industry.

Europe’s finest flock to China

However, it is the Far East and China in particular that is attracting the attention of Europe’s top echelon of motor manufacturers where Marques such as Bentley, Rolls Royce and Ferrari are all the rage for the new wealthy, dare we say capitalists, of communist China. The rush to buy classic cars by the Chinese has completely altered the markets for some companies and it as also altered the way they produce and sell their cars. Unbelievably Rolls Royce says their two top performing showrooms last year were those in Beijing and Shanghai. Aston Martin and Bentley are also finding more and more of their sales are going east.

A different philosophy

Bentley has also discovered that the modern day far eastern customer does not easily settle for the same service as their western counterparts. One Bentley executive noted that in Europe a Bentley is built to a customer’s precise specifications, each Bentley is almost unique but that also means the customer has to wait several months for the car to be manufactured. That philosophy does not work in China. The executive explained that in China the customer will walk into the showroom and want the car of his choice immediately. So now Bentley are shipping models over with specifications that they think will match up to the Chinese market and will allow the customer to arrange any driver car insurance on the spot and drive away his new car.

It’s what’s in the back that counts

Rolls Royce has also noted they may even have to change the design of some of their models in order to suit Chinese customers. They are now preparing to build a long wheel base model of the Ghost as they have noticed their Chinese customers are more concerned about what is included in the back of the car rather than the front. Customers in China are more than likely to have a Chauffeur and long wheel base models add length to the car, especially the back doors, which in its turn adds prestige for the owner. It seems that even in China size matters!

Tags: car insurance cover, carbon emissions, green technologies, Marques
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