Category Archives: Motoring News

Halfords voted worst store in Britain


Car accessory store Halfords has been voted the worst in Britain for customer service by users of Which?, the consumer website. Halfords enjoys near iconic status in the UK. But that doesn’t mean we enjoy going there. According to the survey of 11,000, Halfords scored 51 out of 100 for customer service, with respondents calling the staff “unhelpful and rude,” among other things.

Car insurance can cost young drivers more than 25% of salary


A study of car insurance prices has found that young drivers can pay more than a quarter of their salary for a car policy. The study, by Confused.com, reveals that the average premium for a 17-20-year-old is £2,499, while the average salary for an 18-21 year old is £13,972. That makes the average policy around 18% of the average salary – although the average premium for a young man is a massive £3,635, well over a quarter of the average salary.

Road Safety award for speed camera MP

Road safety charity Brake has given Cambridgeshire MP Steve Barclay an award for his campaign to reactivate a speed camera and have signs installed, aimed at reducing casualties on a stretch of the A47.Nine crashes in three years and five deaths in six years prompted Mr Barclay to start a campaign in April 2011, calling for a defunct speed camera to be reactivated, and signs placed up to warn drivers on the dangerous stretch.

He succeeded in having the Highways Agency agree the signs should be placed and the camera reactivated, though it insisted it would not do the work unless the local parish council stump up the £30,000 cost – because the road didn’t meet a specific casualty level. But after pleading with Road Safety minister Mike Penning, the Highways Agency reneged at the behest of the Government.

Tips from the experts: using digital displays safely

The latest IAM Drive & Survive series tells motorists how to survive while driving and using one of them fancy pants digital dashboard displays. Here goes then…Avoid the temptation to use any features that require input from the driver on the move.

Hertz launches Electric Vehicle car club in Oxford


Hertz, the car rental company, is setting up a car sharing club in Oxford that will only offer electric vehicles. This probably makes a lot more sense for most people than buying an electric car.  Members of the car club can rent the Nissan Leafs by the hour for as little as £5 and can recharge them at any one of 32 charging points round the city (due to expand to 60 charging points soon).