A survey by the Welsh Automotive Forum of local supply chain companies shows 88% expect May turnover to be reduced by more than 50%. Even for July, 38% expect turnover to be 30%+ reduced on pre-COVID-19 levels. RAC patrols rescued some 3,426 motorists whose vehicles may have fallen victim to the UK’s pothole-ridden roads in the first three months of 2020, more than during the same period last … [Read more...]
Education: Road Safety
Tradelines 29 April
The Vauxhall Vivaro-e, its first factory-built, fully-electric van to arrive in the market as more and more UK cities welcome emissions-free vehicles. Orders can be placed from June and deliveries begin in the autumn for the 188miles EV with a 1,226kg payload. Audi is pulling out of the German touring car series after this season. It has been involved since 1990 but now decided for … [Read more...]
More older drivers giving up licences
Prince Philip’s hair-raising traffic accident last year has been credited with a 21% rise in the number of very old motorists handing back their driving licences — including a huge 39% jump for drivers his own age or older. The Duke of Edinburgh was left hanging upside down after a collision with another vehicle as he pulled out of a driveway near the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on 17 January … [Read more...]
Dangers lurking on empty roads
Empty roads over the last few weeks have been used as race-tracks by some drivers, police have reported. Opportunist thieves and drug running gangs have also desperately used them to quickly move about, despite the risk of being caught by routine police patrols stopping to check on Coronavirus compliant trips. Now company car and van drivers have be warned to take extra care on the roads as … [Read more...]
Safety checks to laid up vehicles
Drivers will need guidance on returning laid-up company cars to the road when the coronavirus crisis ends, says Meridian Vehicle Solutions. Phil Jerome, managing director at the medium-term rental specialist, said that some vehicles may not turn a wheel for months, depending on the length of the lockdown, and would need to be quite carefully inspected in a risk management context. “Even if the … [Read more...]
Newslines 11 April
The Covid-19 lockdown has reduced traffic on the roads and the number of accidents but has also brought an increase in speeding, according to data from My Policy Group, the telematics and data analytics business. This is a cause for concern as increasingly erratic driving behaviour could contribute to a rise in road traffic accidents, at a time when emergency services need to focus on fighting … [Read more...]
Warnings to drivers of furloughed EVs
Electric vehicle drivers may need to unplug their cars and vans during the coronavirus lockdown in order to reduce the risk of battery damage, Arval UK has suggested. David Watts, consultant at the fleet management and leasing company, explained that leaving an EV permanently on charge while the vehicle was hardly being used could cause issues. He explained: “General manufacturer advice is that … [Read more...]
Safety checks remain vital despite MoT extension
Following the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s decision to issue a six-month exemption period for MOTs that expire after 30 March, insurethebox is helping its customers make sure their vehicles remain safe during this time. While the government has allowed garages to remain open, social distancing advises against such appointments. As a result, insurethebox is reminding drivers that it is … [Read more...]
New from old roads
It's the ultimate recycling, making new roads from old. While engineering companies are working round the clock to manufacture ventilators, hand sanitiser and face masks to keep people safe and restrict the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Sheffield based Roadmender Asphalt is doing what it can to help Local Councils and Utilities to keep up with emergency repairs to pot holes and utility … [Read more...]
Newslines 2 April
AIWAYS, the Shanghai-based personal mobility provider, will start taking online orders for its U5 all-electric SUV from European consumers in May. Secured via a small deposit, the U5 will be offered exclusively via a direct-to-customer sales model, and not retailed or leased through traditional dealerships. European pre-sale markets and the required deposit amount will be announced by AIWAYS in … [Read more...]