Category Archives: Motoring News

Car insurers clamping down on phone drivers

April 30, 2012   Ian

An investigation by the AA has revealed that some insurance companies are refusing to sell policies to drivers caught using their phone behind the wheel. Phone driving is rising to the top of the road safety agenda, in particular the increase in drivers engaging in social networking on the move – a trend linked to the proliferation of smartphones.Some drivers even admit to playing games like Angry Birds behind the wheel. Driving while using a phone is on the up, and has been likened to drink driving in terms of the effect is has on reaction times and concentration; clearly, it’s an issue that needs serious attention.
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More than half of drivers can’t change a flat tyre

April 30, 2012   Ian

Millions of drivers can’t change a flat tyre, a survey by Kwik Fit has revealed. The survey shows that an astonishing number of people wouldn’t know what to do if they had a flat tyre – nor have the means to do anything even if they could.Around nine million cars get a puncture every year, estimates Kwik Fit – approximately quarter of the number of cars on the road.Yet 3% of survey respondents (which equals just over one million drivers, assuming the survey is a representative sample) admit to having no provision for a flat tyre at all, while 4% said they don’t even know if they have a spare wheel in their car or not.
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True mpg figures reveal shocking fuel economy reality

April 27, 2012   Ian

Consumer car mag What Car? has launched its True MPG programme, which aims to show the actual, real-world fuel economy of the UK’s most popular cars – as opposed to the unrealistic figures claimed by manufacturers.It’s long been accepted that manufacturers’ official mpg ratings are more useful as a way of comparing cars like-for-like than an actual indication of day-to-day fuel economy.

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Driver distraction? There’s an app for that…

April 27, 2012   Ian

Road safety charity RoadSafe has revealed that six in ten young drivers agree they’re being distracted behind the wheel by smartphone apps – with two in ten saying they’ve played Angry Birds while driving, and about the same number that they’ve played Draw Something. The survey, commissioned by insurance company and Roadsafe member Ingenie, is yet another example of the affect phones are having on road safety.
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driving through flash floods Tips from the experts

April 27, 2012   Ian

With the Met Office warning of torrential rain for a good while to come, here’s the IAM’s advice on driving through flash floods. As it happens, we drove through some of the worst of yesterday’s downpour, and it was far from a pleasant experience; this advice, from the IAM’s Drive & Survive series, is timely and very useful.Drive on the highest section of the road and don’t set off if a vehicle is approaching you Leave time and space to avoid swamping other cars and pedestrians.
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