The RAC attended 7,904 breakdowns in the first quarter of 2024 due to bad road surfaces, up 53% on the last three months of 2023, a clear sign that the UK is suffering a pothole epidemic as roads continue to crumble. Analysis from the driving services company shows it’s been far from a smooth start to the year for the nation’s drivers, with pothole-related breakdown numbers up by 10% in the last … [Read more...]
Don’t be a motorway casualty this holiday, says RAC
Nearly eight-in-10 (78%) drivers would unknowingly put themselves in danger after breaking down on the motorway and stopping on the hard shoulder, according to RAC research. Only a fifth (22%) of the 1,900 drivers surveyed would do the right thing after breaking down on one of the UK’s fastest roads on a cold and wet winter’s night by standing to the rear of their vehicle and as far as possible … [Read more...]
Time to take a look at your tyres
This October could be the perfect time to show your tyres some love as Tyre Safety Month gets under way. The campaign organised by charity TyreSafe, the UK’s leading authority on tyre safety, has the full support of national breakdown provider Start Rescue and its hundreds of vehicle recovery professionals working across the UK. “Checking your tyres for the correct pressure, tread and … [Read more...]
Motorists ill-prepared for emergencies, says Go.Compare
Less than a fifth of drivers feel prepared for dealing with a vehicle emergency, a new survey from Go.Compare Car Insurance has revealed. The insurance comparison site asked UK motorists whether they feel equipped for a car maintenance emergency, but shockingly, the majority of motorists did not think they were, with 82% stating as such. Men claim to feel better prepared for a car emergency, as … [Read more...]
14 Million motorists expected on holiday weekend roads
More than 14m drivers are set to make leisure trips this bank holiday weekend – nearly 2m more than last year, says the RAC. Saturday is expected to be the busiest ‘getaway’ day of the weekend on the roads, with the RAC’s research of 2,316 UK drivers showing as many as 3.1m separate trips are due to be taken. Friday is forecast to be the next busiest with 2.8m trips planned, followed by … [Read more...]
Newslines 10 January
Rolls-Royce set another new annual sales record in 2022 as 6021 cars left its Goodwood factory – an 8% improvement on the previous record of 5586 cars set in 2021 - and the first time they had passed the 6,000 mark in a year. Most of the models went to the Americas and the average global price was over £430,000 per car. Over 30 Mercedes car models totalling 323,963 cars in the USA have been … [Read more...]
Worst ever winter breakdowns, said RAC
The RAC yesterday coped with over 12,000 breakdown calls in what it said was the ‘worst-ever winter breakdown cocktail’. RAC Breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis said, “Yesterday was officially our busiest day for breakdowns on record, with around 12,000 drivers needing help, the equivalent of eight every minute of the day. Even our busiest day during the infamous Beast from the East in 2018 didn’t … [Read more...]
Drivers steer clear of smart motorways’ concept
Half of drivers say they frequently or occasionally avoid using lane one on ‘all lane running’ smart motorways. It's a revelation that completely undermines the very reason so many hard shoulders have been permanently turned into running lanes: to increase road capacity. RAC research with 1,904 drivers on ‘all lane running’ smart motorways, found a fifth (21%) claimed to have frequently steered … [Read more...]
Myths of the misty months
With colder weather starting to creep in, and the clocks going back this month, many motorists may be starting to think about how they plan to adjust to the often conditions that accompany the Autumn and Winter months. Often, knowledge of cars and automotive processes are passed on from friends and family members, but how can you be sure of the accuracy of second hand information? Below, the … [Read more...]
Brits risking accidents as more drive abroad
More than a quarter of drivers (27%) who have taken their own cars abroad to continental Europe have driven non-stop for five or more hours, with one-in-10 having done so for upwards of seven hours, putting their safety and that of their passengers and other road users at risk, said RAC European Breakdown. The research, conducted among 2,500 UK drivers of which four-in-10 (39%) have driven in … [Read more...]