Inflation and the cost-of-living crisis are worryingly causing young drivers not to maintain their cars properly, risking their safety and that of other road users, says the RAC, and its particularly bad in Wales. A quarter of young drivers aged 17-24 (26%) say they have put off necessary repairs to their cars to save money while nearly three-in-10 (28%) are not servicing their vehicles as … [Read more...]
Spare tyre gets the boot for nearly all cars
Only 3% of new cars on sale in the UK today come with any form of spare wheel as standard, increasing the number of breakdowns where drivers need help in the event of a unrepairable flat tyre, says the RAC. After reviewing equipment lists of more than 300 car models across 28 brands – everything from the smallest superminis to the largest 4x4s – the RAC found just eight (2.6%) come with a spare, … [Read more...]
RAC calls for fuel price cut at pumps
The RAC is today urging the UK’s biggest fuel retailers to cut the price of petrol by at least 5p a litre to 150p to reflect their far lower wholesale costs. As it stands the Government’s 5p duty cut brought in shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year is not benefitting drivers struggling to cope with the cost-of-living crisis and, instead appears only to be helping retailers who have … [Read more...]
Roads’ rage highest in nine years
Anger with the poor state of Britain’s local roads has reached its highest point in nine years, said the RAC. Nearlly half of drivers (49%) surveyed for the RAC’s annual Report on Motoring listing it as a top motoring concern, making it the single biggest issue by a considerable distance this year. Concern among drivers is now at a record level since the RAC first started asking drivers for … [Read more...]
Newslines 3 October
In the week prior to Rishi Sunak’s announcement that the ban would be pushed back from 2030 to 2035, 42% of drivers planning to buy a new car said they expected it to be a low emissions either fully electric or hybrid. Following the announcement, Kwik Fit’s researchers asked the nation’s drivers the same question and found that the proportion planning to opt for a low emissions vehicle has now … [Read more...]
Recharging after 125 years
One of the oldest and most significant partnerships in motoring history is being recharged and celebrated on this year’s RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run which, as tradition dictates, takes place on the first Sunday in November – 5 November in 2023. It was in 1898 that automotive pioneer Frederick R. Simms contacted Robert Bosch (photos below row 2 and row 3 left), a fellow young … [Read more...]
Call to boost ev charging legislation
Electric vehicle and renewable energy campaign group FairCharge, in partnership with the RAC, have created the UK’s first charter for electric vehicle public charging with the aim of improving the reliability, transparency, accessibility, and usability of the UK’s rapidly growing charging network. Supported by Robert Llewellyn’s Fully Charged Show, trade body Recharge UK, and EV disability … [Read more...]
Drivers put brakes on speeding – except on 20mph roads
The 20mph speed camera enforcement is expected to have a big impact on traffic and fines when it come in with the new lower default urban limit in Wales on 17 September. Figures released by the Department for Transport covering speeding in Britain last year show compliance has improved over Covid-19 hit 2021 and was broadly similar to the levels between 2011 and 2019. The survey also covered … [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 18 August
The Drivers and Vehicle Standards Agency says vehicle recalls will now appear on MOT test certificates records. The vehicle recall system is an essential safety mechanism for motorists to return their car to their dealership to have warranty recalls repaired free of charge to adhere to regulations and for franchised dealers, this is a crucial opportunity to re-establish contact and form new … [Read more...]
