The Independent Garage Association has written to Louise Haigh MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, seeking support to oppose any changes to the current MOT structure. Stuart James, IGA Chief Executive said, “Our current MOT testing system ensures that the UK roads are amongst the safest in the world. The Department for Transport cites taking away a financial burden from motorists, … [Read more...]
Education: Road Safety
20mph limits accelerate Welsh Government spending
The amount of taxpayer money spent on 20mph roads in Wales has exploded by over 500% in just one year, according to the Welsh Conservatives. In response to a written question by the Party, £9.8m was given this year to councils to implement 20mph zones, more than five times the £1.8m spent in 2021/22. The most money this year was awarded to Neath Port Talbot, which received £1.4m, followed by … [Read more...]
Luxembourg chills with car karma
Luxembourg topped the rankings as the least stressful European country for drivers, in a study for Confused.com . The western European country’s ranking reflects its consistently good scoring, and it was found to have low traffic congestion levels. It also recorded a fuel cost of just 0.002% of its average annual income and 3.58 road fatalities per 100,000 people. The study calculated … [Read more...]
Tradelines 8 February: Swansea drivers are best
Swansea is home to the UK’s best drivers, with just 1.5 casualties per 10,000 people, according to analysis of Government data. Moneybarn crunched the statistics and also found there were just 2.57 speeding offences per 10,000 people in Wales second city. Ford is mulling over how many car segments it needs to be competing in as it looks for bigger profits in Europe, CEO Jim Farley said on the … [Read more...]
Tighten up seat belt law, motorists tell RAC
More than two-thirds of motorists (68%) believe drivers should be responsible for ensuring all their passengers wear seatbelts, according to new RAC research released to coincide with today’s 40-year seatbelt law anniversary. Currently, drivers only have responsibility to make sure they and any children in their vehicles are buckled up properly – with the latter potentially needing to be in a … [Read more...]
Bureaucracy adding to car theft misery
New Home Office figures have revealed car thefts are higher than the reported figures but it’s also getting harder for owners to get settlements from their insurers as a new layer of bureaucracy has been added. Analysis by Claims Management & Adjusting indicates car theft victims are frequently waiting more than seven days longer for insurance payouts due to the new National Police Chiefs’ … [Read more...]
Newslines 30 January
A petition has been launched by automotive trade bodies to stop the Government’s plans to extend the period before a vehicle has its first MOT, in order to reduce preventable casualties and deaths caused by vehicle defects. The petition created by the Independent Garages Association states the proposal would be: Dangerous: Increased casualties and deaths caused by vehicle defects; Expensive: … [Read more...]
Funky Cat will make feathers fly
The feathers are about to fly in Britain’s all-electric car market after the entry of a new Chinese brand this spring. The GWM ORA Funky Cat First Edition is being imported from £31,995 by a part of the IM Group, which is already well known through its Subaru and Isuzu distribution and its supply of assured parts for the Mitsubishi marque, which pulled out of direct UK sales three years … [Read more...]
Take the chill off EV driving
If you have an electric vehicle it’s really important to make sure you keep your vehicle charged and allow more time for charging on the cold winter days, said the co-founder of Elmodrive.com, Olly Jones. Batteries work slower in colder weather and so when the temperature drops you need to make sure you’re keeping your vehicle as charged as possible, around 40-80% is ideal. If you have the … [Read more...]
UK is a safer haven for many drivers
When compared to other countries across the world such as Spain, Sweden and Germany, the UK is one of the safer places for motorists. The UK overall ranks 7th with 2.4 fatalities per 100,000 people, placing it in the top 10 safest European countries to drive in, according to a study by Hippo Leasing. The UK has the Highway Code in place in order to reduce road casualties. There are 307 … [Read more...]