Daily Archives: July 3, 2012

31 million cars on UK roads

July 03, 2012   simon

We know, it feels like most of them are on your regular routes.The latest official figures show the number of cars on the road went up 0.3% last year, while the average age of cars went up to 7.44 years, two months more than a year ago. Over the last 10 years, the total number grew by 9%, a slower rise than the previous decade’s 17%. That presumably reflects the fact that we are pretty much approaching saturation point for cars in the UK.
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Drivers fret about commuting safely

July 03, 2012   simon

Nearly a third of car commuters have had a near miss in the last year, according to a web poll from IAM Drive & Survive. 45% of drivers polled would like their employer to provide support for them to improve their driving. The survey also found that 98% of drivers said they are exposed to negligent road users on their journey, 40% of them frequently. 45% admitted they have made a mistake which has made them worry about their safety in the last year.

27% would like further driver training and 14% want clear company policies on circumstances in which they shouldn’t travel.

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Mercedes i-Class?

July 03, 2012   simon

You would think that the car industry would be big enough and old enough not to have to jump on other people’s bandwagons. However, Mercedes describes its new A Class as being designed for the “Facebook generation”. Quite what that means is anyone’s guess. With so many people now on the social network, it doesn’t mean much more than a car for the “iPhone Generation”. Of course they said that too – the A Class is an “iPhone on wheels”, apparently.
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Wrong car colour could cost you 10%

July 03, 2012   simon

Fancy that unusual maroon or turquoise shade on you new car? It could cut your resale value by 10% compared to the same car in white. In a study comparing second-hand values to new prices, car valuation experts, CAP, found that white cars typically hold around 5% more of their value than the market average for a used car. In fact, white is the only mainstream colour which generally increases the value of a car. This is quite a change, as white used to cut values, not increase them.
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