Cluttered cars becoming a safety issue on our roads

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Steve

How many of us can honestly say we keep our cars clean and tidy. The vehicle we use to get us to work, the kids to school, the family on holiday and the pack horse that brings home the supermarket shop does not stay in pristine condition for long.

Clutter soon builds up

The demands of modern life mean that very few people keep their car looking the same as it did when they picked it up after organising motor vehicle insurance on it for the first time. It does not take too long before the car becomes “personalised”. Of course most people like to have personal objects in the cocoon that they spend so much time in, unfortunately according to a recent AA survey we are putting ourselves and our families at risk by cluttering up our vehicles.

Blinded by the light

The Survey, conducted on 2,000 cars travelling on a motorway, revealed that 1 in 20 cars had significantly obscured the driver’s vision by cluttering up the windscreen or rear window with objects. The survey revealed a plethora of cuddly toys, scented air fresheners and sporting regalia, were putting drivers at risk every day. It also revealed a strange belief that grips thousands of motorists in the UK! Apparently many people are convinced that a dangling CD will prevent speed cameras from recording their speed, a conviction that is totally refuted by the police force. However, they do point out that the dangling CD can well blind a driver coming in the opposite direction in some conditions.

Drivers face fines if safety is compromised

A police spokesman also points out that drivers can be fined for cluttering their windscreens with objects that could impair their vision and therefore compromise the safety of road users. The CD or scented tree therefore can have a big impact on the price of your car insurance cover. Even a sat-nav can cause loss of visibility for the driver if it isn’t placed correctly. It is also worth remembering that a car could feasibly fail an MOT if it is badly cluttered to the point where vision loss is an issue.

A clean car is a safer car

Of course the most dangerous aspect of a cluttered car comes into play when there is a collision. Objects flying about a car can maim and kill quite easily and a driver struggling to keep control of the vehicle can easily be impeded by objects blocking his vision or even blocking the controls of the car. It is not always easy to empty the car of clutter after every journey but keeping a clear windscreen will undoubtedly improve the safety rating of your car.

Ecovelocity powers into Battersea this week

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Steve

Motorists from all corners of the UK will be converging on the old Battersea Power Station later this week when it stages the festival of eco-motoring for the very first time.

Event will showcase new technology

The show, labelled Ecovelocity, will give spectators an insight into the latest vehicles that are coming on to the market, the low down on how hi-tech manufacturing is revolutionising the motoring trade and the benefits that low carbon emission vehicles will have on our lives. The show will cover the whole gamut of the breed of cars and customers will even get the chance to purchase motor vehicle insurance on a brand new car.

Low emissions valuable asset for capital dwellers

With the show being based in the Capital many visitors will be well aware of the advantages low and zero emission vehicles hold for the London driver. The new vehicles are exempt from congestion charge, often exempt from road tax and in some parts of London exempt from parking charges. Of course cleaner air to breathe is the end product of the new generation of cars and this was the prime mover in putting the new technology in place.

Manufacturers out in force

Visitors to the show will get the chance to actually drive some of the exhibits on a specially constructed test circuit and it is here that manufacturers like Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi, Kia, Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen hope to convince prospective customers to splash out on car insurance cover for one of the new breed of cars. It is vitally important to all manufacturers that the public begin to buy in to the new concept and shows like Ecovelocity have a lot riding on them.

Supercars and training courses will rub shoulders

The show will feature a Green Supercar Paddock where one-off models such as the Tesla Roadster and Bluebird Electric will demonstrate just what is achievable by the mechanics and engineers at the forefront of the technology. Youngsters will have plenty to do at the show as well. SEAT will give youngsters between 11 and 16 the chance to participate in the “young drivers programme” and Honda will be presenting their well established introduction to motor cycling for young children.

The show will run from Thursday September 6th through to Sunday September 11th with charges for adults being £10, children £5 and a family ticket £25.

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Government plan to move traffic out of town comes under attack

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Steve

Motoring groups across the UK are stating their concerns over a new Government initiative which they say could have a devastating effect on business and commerce as well as the ordinary driver.

Radical change

The Government’s draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) document has suggested a radical change in the planning and building of commerce centres. It suggests that office blocks would be better suited to the periphery of towns and cities and not in the built up centres. This they suggest will make the road network more accessible to businesses and at the same time unclog the city streets from cars and the polluting emissions they release.

Brave new world?

It is a brave concept that should give the cities back to the people and place business and industry perfectly adjacent to the UK’s motorway and main highways infrastructure. The idea could also help car owners who need to know “what insurance group is my car?” as well as bring the cost of car insurance down, so why is it coming in for so much criticism?

Motoring bodies fear traffic chaos

The Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) group along with major motoring organisations such as the AA and RAC are convinced the radical change will be to the detriment of the country. They say that the placing of more business parks and office blocks alongside the main road arteries will simply clog up the roads. They don’t believe the Government have researched the impact on the roads the changes would make. The CBT undertook some research of their own and reckoned that a 220 mile journey on the M1 could take an extra 50 minutes if a new business park was placed on the outskirts of each major metropolis the route passed. The concerns are centred around the amount of traffic entering and leaving the junctions of the main roads. Campaigners point out that major junctions already slow down traffic considerably and more junctions would see traffic gradually become slower.

Urban dwellers will disagree

This may not be the opinion of many people who compare car insurance cover for second cars that do trips such as to the supermarket or the school run. The Government scheme could certainly free up the towns and cities for the considerable percentage of the population who have no interest in business, and the initiative will be roundly applauded by those who campaign for cleaner air in cleaner cities.

Skoda speedster breaks Bonneville record

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Steve

It does not seem all that long ago when Skoda cars were dismissed as nothing but a joke. No self respecting motorist in the UK could be persuaded to even get a motor insurance quote on one of the Czech cars, never mind actually take money out of their wallet to buy one. How things have changed.

More than just reliable

The subsequent rise and rise of the humble Czech company is well documented and started the day it became part of the Volkswagen group. Today many motorists still can’t be persuaded to buy a car with the Skoda name but for the millions who are now converts; the reliability and sheer value of a Volkswagen engineered car at entry level prices just cannot be ignored. However, the recent record set by a Skoda has nothing to do with boring reliability, the Skoda turbocharged vRS has just become the fastest 2 litre production model in the world.

World record

The Skoda UK team have just returned from the salt flats of Utah celebrating a 227 mph world record in the Bonneville Speed Trials. The Skoda team were confident of achieving the record as they knew they could get past the mind boggling 200 mph mark from previous attempts but on Thursday afternoon despite weather conditions that were not perfect they set about completing the second of two timed runs that are necessary to qualify the record. The five mile course was completed at an average speed of 228 mph which when averaged with the first run gave an outcome of just over 227 mph, beating the previous record by 11mph. Of course no motorist back in the UK will get a low deposit car insurance that allows him to travel at such speeds, but it is just another notch on the belt of Skoda that distances them from the company of a generation ago.

Time for recognition from all corners

Various Skoda models win top car prizes year after year now when it comes to voting by the general public and perhaps this new speedster will even turn the heads of motoring and media journalists.

Rise in number of parking tickets put down to CCTV vehicles

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Steve

As motorists in some parts of the country prepare to claim back parking fines illegally issued by certain councils in the UK, the true cost of falling foul of traffic regulations was highlighted by figures revealed by the freedom of information act.

Tip of the iceberg

A motorist from Richmond in London famously won his appeal against a parking ticket last week and the judgement by the Traffic Penalty Tribunal means that millions of pounds will have to be paid back by dozens of councils across the country, however, the amount paid back will only be the tip of an iceberg that is made up of over 4 million parking fines. With each ticket averaging around £50 it is not hard to see how much of a cash cow motorists are to the local councils across the UK.

Change in tactics

The amazing number of tickets handed out by councils last year altered the public’s perception somewhat, and no longer is the traffic warden the motorist’s number one enemy. The increase of some 10% on the figures from the previous year is put down to the preference of many councils to replace the traffic warden with mobile CCTV cameras. The new breed of surveillance cars can generate tickets automatically once the cameras home in on their target and the first thing the motorist knows about his misdemeanour is when the letter lands on his door.

Public enemy number 1

Motorists around the country have had a number of reasons to complain about their lot in the past months; the rising cost of motor vehicle insurance, the record price of fuel at the pumps and the change in law regarding vehicles off the road requiring low deposit car insurance even if they are not in use, are all major causes of irritation, however, they pale into insignificance when compared to mobile CCTV cars.

Cameras not always right

According to motorists the cars often contravene parking regulations to try and trap other drivers; they often don’t work correctly and have been known to issue tickets to drivers who have not even stopped their vehicle. Others have been given fines for actually unloading vehicles in a perfectly legal manner and one motorist even landed a parking fine when they stopped their vehicle for 46 seconds to change drivers.

Here to stay

There is little chance of the cameras being withdrawn even though some councils will have to pay back their ill gotten gains. If local authorities conform to the rules regulating their implementation then they are perfectly legal and at a time when cuts to council budgets mean revenue is short then any means of raising cash will be welcomed.

Councils prepare to pay back millions as motorist wins his case

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Steve

The actions of one disgruntled motorist in the borough of Richmond, London may result in thousands of motorists getting a cash windfall and dozens of councils across the UK having to repay millions of pounds worth of revenue gained by traffic penalty charges.

Motorist challenges legitimacy of mobile CCTV

The penalty charges relate to fines being levied by councils using CCTV cameras to identify motorists illegally parking or driving in bus lanes. The challenge by motorist Nigel Wise on the fine levied on him by Richmond-upon-Thames Council has been upheld by the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service (PTAS) and his success looks certain to open the flood gates for similar claims by thousands of motorists.

Full refund plus damages

Mr Wise based his claim on the fact that the Department of Transport had not approved mobile CCTV units to issue tickets for parking and wrong lane use and that the tickets were unlawful. Not only did he get his parking refunded he also won £50 damages. The case has been closely followed by other councils who adapted smart cars to act as mobile CCTV units and by motoring groups who have supported Mr Wise in his actions.

Devil in the detail

The dispute comes about following the Traffic Management Act 2008. The act allowed councils to use the cameras to levy fines but hidden in the detail was a clause saying that any council using the cameras would need formal approval before unleashing them on the motorist. Motoring groups have been against the cameras from the outset saying drivers were already saddled with high fuel prices, spiralling car insurance quotes and higher parking fees. They were particularly upset by the tactics used by the mobile units who they said often contravened traffic laws in their quest to catch out other motorists.

Other councils watch and wait

Richmond Council now believe they could be saddled with a bill of over £1 million if they have to refund all tickets that have been issued by the mobile units over the last two years. Other councils including Bolton, Plymouth, Bournemouth and Basildon will be watching very closely on how Richmond deals with the problem as they have utilised mobile units in exactly the same way. Meanwhile many motorists will be anticipating a nice little windfall that will go towards their over motoring bills such as any driver car insurance cover and maintenance charges.

Temporary policy could be the answer to families needs

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Steve

It is no secret that the current financial situation has affected a great number of motorists. The price of fuel, the spiralling cost of a conventional motor vehicle insurance policy and the price of a new car have all contributed to a series of reports suggesting that the numbers of cars on the road in the UK is beginning to drop.

Drop in sales

From an all time high of over 30 million according to an AA report 2 years ago to around 28 million earlier this year, there is no doubt car ownership in the UK is beginning to fall. Apart from causing problems for the motor manufacturers, tax collectors and oil producers, another industry to be affected is the car insurance trade. The fall in the number of cars on the road should represent less business for insurance agents, and while this has been the case for the usual comprehensive and third party policies agents have found one area of low deposit car insurance to be increasing.

Temporary measures becoming popular

Temporary car insurance is suddenly becoming more popular and it is no coincidence this is happening when figures show that many families are trying to manage without a second car. Temporary insurance policies usually last from between 1 and 30 days and were in the past often used when customers bought a new car but had yet to organise a full insurance policy on the vehicle. They would use the short term cover to get the vehicle home and then organise the policy they desired. Temporary cover though does come in handy for other situations.

A policy that has many uses

It is ideal for allowing prospective buyers of your vehicle to test drive the car before they buy it, and perfect to ensure you have full insurance cover on a car you have borrowed while your own car is in need of repair. The policy will give you fully comprehensive cover without putting your own no claims bonus at risk. This type of cover would also be ideal for a son or daughter borrowing their parent’s bigger car to take their belongings to university or perhaps borrowing their parent’s car to take on holiday.

There is no doubt many families can find temporary car insurance a good way of saving money while still having the use of a car when they really need it.

Cost of motoring soars in the Republic

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Steve

It is no secret that the last 12 months have been more than a little miserable for motorists in the UK. The cost of fuel, motor vehicle insurance and the state of the nation’s roads have led millions of motorists to question the need for a car. Apparently the same thing is happening across the water in the Republic of Ireland.

Running costs accelerating

According to a report by a leading motoring body the cost of running a car in the republic has gone up by 600 Euros in just 12 months, the report says that most of the cost is down to higher fuel prices but low deposit car insurance is becoming more expensive, as is servicing and the price of car accessories.

Fuel the most draining resource

The rise in the cost of fuel has been dramatic, in July of last year the cost of a litre of fuel averaged out at 133 cents, the average price in July 2011 is a whopping 151 cents. A rise of over 12% and a prohibitive curb on the use of a car for anything but the most essential of journeys. The cost of car insurance and car repairs also showed an increase but nothing like that of fuel and in fact insurance prices compare favourably to those in the UK.

Cost increase on a family car

For the sake of the test the motoring body, the AA, used a Band “C” vehicle, a typical family car “run-around”. The experiment was based on the car achieving a fuel efficiency of 30 miles per gallon and travelling 1000 miles in the year. The cost of fuel according to the scientists would have risen from 2000 Euros in 2010 to 2,300 Euros now.

Alternative transport may be the answer

The cost of the fuel, any driver car insurance and repairs for motorists does not actually tell the full story, because the traumatic year endured by the European currency and especially by the inhabitants of the Republic of Ireland and Greece means that the cost of living in general has shot up. The price of importing a new car from the mainland has gone up and in a country with a small road network many more residents may start looking at alternative transport.

New Leaf turned over by Top Gear

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Steve

It certainly has not been the best of months for advocates of zero emission motor vehicles. The sight of a Nissan Leaf being pushed along by the muscle power of the Top Gear TV presenters because they could not find a top up point in the city of Lincoln may well have amused onlookers, but it left the Nissan Motor Company furious. They accused the TV programme planners of deliberately running down the battery to create the situation and to give negative feedback on the new technology.

Lincoln not so green!

The programme planners were unapologetic about the episode saying it highlighted the fact that zero emission technology was not all that it pretended to be and that the UK motoring system was just not ready for mass produced electric vehicles. The show will certainly have made some consumers think twice about whether they should compare car insurance on the Nissan Leaf, just what the motor manufacturing industry did not want. At least the city of Lincoln has benefited from the exercise as Nissan have promised to install a public charging point with two chargers, rumour has it the chargers will be names, James and Jeremy in honour of the two presenters!

New battery charge sparks alarm

Prospective buyers of the new cars will have been also horrified to learn that a new battery could cost them the best part of £20,000. The eyebrow raising figure was revealed by a Nissan vice-president earlier this week, who qualified the remark by saying motorists who only used the car for short journeys and did not use the “super chargers” that gave a quick refuel, would not have to renew the batteries for about 10 years. The question of who actually owns the battery of the new cars is still up in the air, with some motoring companies saying the battery will be leased to the car owners for a monthly charge. New owners will certainly be looking for modified car insurance if a new battery is to cost almost as much as the car.

Leaf enthusiasm blown away by poor sales

There is no doubt that the sales of the Leaf have been disappointing so far with less than a thousand having been sold despite the Government subsidy of £5,000. The Government actually put millions of pounds on one side for the subsidy and will be alarmed at the public’s disinterest. At first, new electric car drivers were confused and asking, “what group insurance is my car?” but after that was sorted, it seems that 2011 will certainly not herald the new era of motoring and some experts are already predicting the technology will have to be relaunched on the public for it to be a success.

More motorists feeling the pinch

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Steve

The continuing difficulties in the UK economy is still impacting on families across the country, and as recent surveys report how spiralling costs are affecting two sections of society more and more, motorists seem to be walking away from their cars.

Moms driven off the road

A recent survey by Bridgestone tyres suggests that cheap motor insurance quotes for women drivers appears to be a thing of the past and soaring premiums plus the exorbitant price of fuel is turning the school run into a walk. The survey by the famous tyre company asked mothers from all over the UK how the current financial downturn was affecting their daily lives and the outcome proved very interesting.

Motoring targeted for savings

Over 90% questioned said they were feeling the effects of spiralling prices and the austerity cuts. The same amount unsurprisingly revealed that they were saving less than before, with more than 50% admitting they now regularly incurred bank charges for using overdraft facilities. It is motoring though where moms are looking to make the savings. The taxes along with the hike in car insurance premiums has persuaded 5% of moms to sell their vehicles already while over 30% said they were considering doing the same thing.

Effect on children worries moms most

Of course most moms primary focus in life is their children, and while a short walk to school will certainly not do their offspring any harm whatsoever, 50% of moms were concerned that because they could no longer take their children on school trips in their cars the youngsters were missing out. The same worry extended to after- school activities and family holidays.

Young drivers in the same boat

At the same time as moms were revealing how the downturn is affecting their motoring, a BBC report shows how the cost of young person’s car insurance is dramatically reducing the number of youngsters taking driving lessons. According to the BBC report it is not the £25 cost of the average lesson that has seen a 20% drop in 17-22 year olds learning to drive, nor is it the prohibitive cost of fuel, it is the mind boggling sum they have to find in insurance. In 2005 a 17 year old male could expect his first car insurance policy to cost him around £3,000 that has now rocketed to £5,200 and is in many circumstances more expensive than the value of the car.

Policy providers must find an answer

It is a well known fact that young people and males in particular, are many times more likely to have an accident than older more experienced drivers, but it is also a fact that skill often comes with experience, and that skills are picked up more easily by a young enquiring mind. Experts are looking to the motor insurance industry to now come up with new initiatives in policies to answer questions like “what insurance group is my car?” to help prevent a generation missing out on a skill that has been taken for granted over the last 50 years.