The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings of ice and snow for much of the country, roads are expected to be gritted to prevent snow from settling over the next few days. Institute of Advanced Motorists’ chief examiner, Peter Rodger is offering advice to motorists to better cope with driving on road surfaces that have been recently treated. If weather conditions are severe in your … [Read more...]
News
Average premium for young driver is over £2,200
Wales' based Gocompare.com says the cost of getting a young driver on the road is now £6,768, with insurance costs making up around one third of the total bill. The price of becoming a new driver has increased by just over 18% in the last five years, largely driven by youngsters and parents spending on average £3,825 on their first car, up from £2,477 in 2009. The average cost of car insurance … [Read more...]
Newslines
Nearly 200,000 Subaru Impeza and Forester models from 2008 to 2011 are being recalled for a second time in the US. There has been further evidence of possible corrosion to brake lines and loss of fluid through heavy winter salting. Car makers are concerned that the French Government has unilaterally approved a new grade of diesel fuel which includes more bio-additives. The change may affect … [Read more...]
Honda hit by massive fine for “secret” accidents
Honda has been fined a record $70m (£46.4m) by US regulators for failing to report deaths and injuries to authorities. It is the largest civil penalty to date levied against a carmaker by the US government. In November, Honda admitted that it did not report 1,729 cases involving deaths or injuries between July 2003 and June 2014. The company said it would change its internal … [Read more...]
Newslines
Eurotunnel wants a buyer for its MyFerryLink cross channel service after losing an appeal against a ban on operating the route. The UK competition authorities ruled that Eurotunnel's share of the market was too big. Year-end figures for new motorcycle registrations show sales for 2014 were up 10% compared to 2013, with an increase every single month throughout the year. 101,277 new … [Read more...]
Newslines
Honda will introduce the world’s first predictive cruise control system known as Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (i-ACC), capable of foreseeing and automatically reacting to other vehicles ‘cutting-in’ to the equipped vehicle’s lane. Traditional advanced cruise control systems only respond when a vehicle moves into the line of the radar sweep but the Honda system monitors movements all round … [Read more...]
Bridge Tolls to stay for another 12 years?
Severn Bridge tolls could be charged until 2027. That is the cut off date the British Government has to continue charging even when the concession to Bridge builders ends in 2018. The additional nine-years of possible tolls has been unearthed by Plaid Cymru during discussions on the annual price rises, which took affect again last week. The Government has remained silent on its plans and … [Read more...]
Car sales pass 2.4M in 2014
Britain is on the verge of a new boom in car sales, according to leading automotive economist Prof Garel Rhys. Early last year he dismissed gloomy predictions for the new car 2014 UK market from the SMMT and international accountants and predicted they would rise above the 2007 total of 2.4M. As the year progressed the SMMT and others gradually altered their opinions and raised hopes of an … [Read more...]
Newslines
Holyhead will reopen Market Street to traffic after a ban saw a dramatic drop in trade. It had been landscaped and closed for most of the day but businesses said the ban was hurting them and work has started to re-open it, except for the market day closure mid-week when temporary stalls are set up on the road. BMW agreed to pay £537Million or 5.1 billion yuan to distributors in China to help … [Read more...]
Safety recall for MINI models
MINI is recalling over 3,600 models sold in America and now said to pose a threat to rear seat passengers. The MINI Cooper Hardtop models were made from December 2013 to May 2014 and failed side impact tests to protect passengers. It is likely to be an extensive remedy but no comment has so far come from MINI and it’s not known how many other models may be affected around the world although … [Read more...]
