Automotive News by Autobulbs Direct Ltd

What should you do after a car crash?

Autobulbs Direct — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

There is little worse for drivers than being involved in a car accident, with the moment of panic following a collision sometimes causing people to make rash decisions.

Should motorists find themselves in such a situation though, Simon Elstow, a driver training specialist at the Institute of Advanced Motorists' Drive & Survive scheme, is hoping to ease people through the process as comfortably as possible.

He noted: "The reality is nobody wants to think about having a car accident. But it’s important to be prepared in case you are involved in one. And if it happens, try not to get angry or upset."

Mr Elstow went on to acknowledge that drivers should not forget the fact that they are on a road following an incident in their car.

As a result, traffic may still be flowing around the vehicles involved in a crash, so motorists should not just jump out of their car without first checking what is around them.

Before even stepping out of a vehicle, Mr Elstow pointed out that an engine should be switched off and hazard lights switched on, so that other motorists are aware of the danger.

Once these issues have been sorted, each driver involved in the incident should find a safe spot to exchange details – of which needs to include the name and address of the other car user/users, as well as vehicle and insurance company details.

The expert also stressed that the police do not need to get involved in a road accident unless someone has been injured or dangerous driving is suspected by one of the motorists involved.

His advice comes soon after a study devised by professional driving instructor Neil Beeson suggested that women drivers are better at parking a car than their male counterparts.

Would you know how to react in a smart fashion following a road accident?

MOTs to stay the same – is it a good idea?

Autobulbs Direct — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Richard Sinclair

There has been a great deal of debate in recent months about the MOT system and if it should be altered to take account of the production of safer, more reliable vehicles and growing motoring costs, but now the government has announced the process will stay the same.

Following a coalition report into MOTs a number of key decisions have been made, including the retention of the existing frequency of testing.

Measures have been put in place to help motorists spot "clocked" second hand vehicles, by changing MOT certificates so that they carry the last three years' mileage information as well as the mileage on the day of the test.

As well as giving drivers more information about their vehicle, the new MOT system will also see a "mystery shopper" test added, designed to help improve performance in garages across the UK.

Transport secretary Justine Greening said that garages in the UK are crucial to ensuring Britain's roads continue to be among the safest in the world.

She added: "Most are doing good work but the latest data shows that there is room for improvement."

The moves have received widespread support from motoring and road safety groups, with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders saying the decision "ensures that road safety, consistency of service, quality assurance and consumer confidence in the automotive service and repair industry will be maintained and enhanced".

Julie Townsend, Brake deputy chief executive, said the news is "very welcome".

"The annual MOT is vital to road safety, and the government has recognised that; reducing its frequency would have inevitably meant more lives needlessly lost and more terrible injuries," she added.

Which improvements would you make to the MOT system?

Are you happy with the service from garages?

Autobulbs Direct — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Fiona Birkwood

The happiness with the service provided by garages in the UK can be a very mixed bag, as some motorists extol the virtues of the garage they use and other bemoan a lack of service and high prices.

But now the government has acted on the varied quality of repair services in the UK by outlining a new package of measures to boost transparency and value-for-money.

Justine Greening, the Transport Secretary, announced that the government will work with the industry, motoring organisations and consumer groups to focus on the reliability and standards of garages.

The new measures come after data from the Department for Transport executive agency, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, showed that more than a quarter (27.7 per cent) of vehicles tested in 2010/11 had one or more car defects that were either missed by MOT test centres or incorrectly assessed.

Ms Greening explained that she wants each and every motorist in the UK to be confident that a visit to a garage will result in a high standard of work carried out by reputable mechanics, rather than uncertainty about cost and the quality of service.

The new measures implemented are expected to shine a light on the performance of MOT testing centres by releasing VOSA data.

It was also announced that the UK will retain its current MOT testing frequency as the recent results indicate that vehicle defects are being missed and roadworthiness mis-assessed.

The announcement has been backed by a number of road safety organisations including the Institute for Advanced Motorists (IAM).

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at the organisation, said: "For far too long only the best garages have taken part in industry schemes while the rouge traders get away with shoddy work and rip-off prices."

He called for mystery shopping as one way of addressing this but success will only be achieved when our surveys show 100% satisfaction with the MOT service.

When was the last time you had your eyesight checked?

Autobulbs Direct — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Richard Sinclair

The eyes are crucial when driving and can be the difference between stopping before a collision or bumping another car, and now new research has revealed alarming figures about the state of British drivers' eyesight.

Driving at night, distance vision and reading road signs are common problems among millions of drivers and for one in five Brits, poor vision has led to at least one driving related incident, such as damaging their vehicle or a more serious road crash.

According to the survey, as many as one in three visually-impaired drivers make two journeys a week without their glasses or prescribed eyewear, risking their own safety and the safety of other motorists and pedestrians.

Perhaps more shockingly, one in ten drivers are risking the safety of their own children by driving without their glasses or contact lenses.

Do you think more needs to be done to encourage regular eye tests?

On the back of the research Ultralase, the vision specialists that commissioned the study, has launched a campaign calling for eye tests to be made a compulsory part of the national driving test; a move that 89 per cent of the nation supports.

The study revealed that over 20 per cent of motorists on the UK's roads won't have taken an eye test in the last two years, if at all, to determine if they are fit to drive.

Tony Veverka, chief executive of Ultralase, said: "The results of this survey certainly make for very disturbing reading as it seems we're becoming more and more flippant with our sight when driving. This relaxed attitude shows not only in the risks that motorists are taking but through the lack of standard testing for licence holders too."

The most common reasons for driving with compromised vision include forgetting to put glasses on/contacts in, the motorist only driving a short distance, sunny conditions, painful eyes and broken eyewear.

Are women better drivers than men?

Autobulbs Direct — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Fiona Birkwood

The age old debate that causes arguments in every household in the country has once again reared its ugly head, which sex is the best at driving? No doubt you each have your own opinions on the matter, but new research may make the debate null and void.

New research from car parks operator NCP has revealed that contrary to popular belief, women are better at parking than male drivers.

Stereotyped views of female drivers and their spatial skills were put to the test by the organisation and the results show that women are better than men when it comes to technique, accuracy and time taken when parking.

The study gave women an average score of 13.4 out of 20 for the three categories, while male motorists picked up a score of 12.3.

Women were slower than men when parking, taking an average of five more seconds to do so, but they scored better on finding a space, positioning the car, reversing into spaces and making sure the car was placed centrally in its spot.

Neil Beeson, of ITV's Last Chance Driving School documentary, was "quite surprised" by the results, as he noted in his experience "men have always been the best learners and usually performed better in lessons".

"The results also appear to dispel the myth that men have better spatial awareness than women," he added.

Well over a third of women opted to reverse into spaces – the method which is preferred by instructors – compared to just over a quarter of men.

It was also discovered that when men get their vehicle into a space, they are likely to be happier than women with its initial position. Only 29 per cent chose to start repositioning the car, while the majority of women shuffled their car for the optimum position, before leaving the vehicle.

Which sex is the best at parking in your experience?

Is it time you brushed up on your parking skills?

Autobulbs Direct — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Richard Sinclair

Parking a car is often viewed as one of the most difficult elements of driving to get right, particularly parallel parking, which many people never do after mastering the technique for their driving test.

For some drivers, this could mean 30 or 40 years without performing the manoeuvre, a fact which could lead to trouble if it is the only option available to them.

As well as the difficulties of parallel parking, many drivers may also need a refresher on the best practice when it comes to parking their vehicle and leaving it for the day.

According to the Institute of Advanced Motorists' head of Drive & Survive training, Simon Elstow, it is always advisable to park on the left-hand side of the road where possible during the day, and even more so at night.

If there is a car park available, it is always best to reverse into a free spot, as this makes it much safer when you come to leave and also it can be fuel efficient as you'll be manoeuvring a vehicle with a warm engine, making the process kinder to your car, something it will no doubt thank you for through less wear and tear and repair bills.

One of Mr Elstow's key points is to remain calm when parking, as reversing into a space can be a stressful experience for some drivers, particularly if others are waiting behind.

"Don't feel pressurised by other drivers waiting for you to park – it's important to take your time," he explained.

Other tips include checking your mirrors and over your shoulder frequently as you still need to know what's going on around you, even if there was no obstruction when you started the manoeuvre.

When parking it is also advisable to open your window and turn off your stereo as this will help you hear an approaching danger before you can see it.

Are car insurance providers treating drivers fairly?

Autobulbs Direct — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Fiona Birkwood

Having had to fork out hundreds of pounds in order to pay for an annual car insurance policy, many drivers in the UK do not seem happy with the service they are then provided.

This is the finding of new figures released by the Financial Ombudsman Service, which revealed that 7,238 inquiries were made to the institute last year regarding such documents.

In effect, this means that 29 per cent more drivers have found gripes in their motor insurance policies which they wanted to clear up than what was recorded in 2010.

What has been the main area of complaint?

One of the frequent areas of inquires which have been made to the Financial Ombudsman Service regarding car insurance policies has been the valuations given to a vehicle after it was written-off.

The institute backs many of these complaints, accusing an array of insurance companies of pricing a car based on its trade price, instead of going for the correct method of measuring it against retail price.

Karyn Howes, from Hampshire, was one driver who felt she was getting short changed from her motor insurance provider.

BBC News reported that the 30-year-old wrote off her vehicle after skidding in bad weather at a set of traffic lights. The company then offered Ms Howes £2,300 to cover her loss.

However, she pointed out: "After investigating online I thought the car was worth about £2,700, so I was really annoyed.

"You pay your insurance, so you hope to get something decent back if you have an accident."

What is the other side of the coin?

Although the Financial Ombudsman Service believes that some insurance providers are too harsh with their payouts, it also pointed out car owners can sometimes overestimate their vehicle's value.

The Associations of British Insurers agrees, with one of its spokesmen acknowledging: "It should be remembered that the price a vehicle is advertised for sale as is not the same price that someone might pay – second-hand car dealers may overstate the price in a newspaper or trade magazine, but accept much less when negotiating."

In order to cut the risk of getting into an accident which could result in a whiplash injury, Simon Elstow, head of training at the Institute of Advanced Motorists' Drive & Survive scheme, has recently advised drivers to keep their distance from a car in front.

Have you felt short-changed from your insurance provider?

Could new council powers end rush hour roadworks?

Autobulbs Direct — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Fiona Birkwood

We've all been sat there in rush hour traffic, wondering why it is so much busier one day than it has been previously.

It's only when you reach the unmanned roadworks do you understand the reason why you're going to be late, but now that could all be a thing of the past.

While it is of course important to maintain the road and carry out crucial utility works, councils have now been given the powers to charge companies looking to dig up a major road a "lane rental".

Should a utility company want to carry out work on the busiest roads during peak time they will be charged £2,500 a day for as long as the disruption occurs.

It is hoped that the new measures will incentivise firms to carry out work more quickly and at times when the roads are quieter, which will have the added benefit of reducing the disruption to motorists.

Companies would be able to avoid the charges by carrying out works during off-peak periods or, if appropriate, at night.

Transport minister Norman Baker said: "It is incredibly frustrating to find vital roads being dug up in the middle of the rush hour or, even worse, traffic lanes closed when no one is even carrying out any work."

He added that the disruptions caused by rush hour roadworks are not only annoying and frustrating for motorists, but are costing the UK economy around £4 billion every year in lost productivity.

Any revenue raised from the implementation of lane rental charges will have to be used by councils to fund measures which could help to reduce future road works disruption, such as vital infrastructure work, research or measures to improve the management of further works.

The scheme is set to be rolled out in three local authorities – one metropolitan area and two others – and the Department for Transport has asked for interested authorities to put their name forward.

Would you back a change to daylight savings?

Autobulbs Direct — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Susannah Mayers

The debate over whether the UK should change the way it deals with daylight savings is continuing to rage, but it seems like things will remain the same in the foreseeable future.

Lighter Later, the campaign to end the daylight savings practice, has the support of more than 90 organisations, but it seems that MPs in the House of Commons are not convinced.

Of the 130 MPs that attended a recent reading of the bill, 120 voted in support of the end of daylight savings, but according to GEM Motoring Assist, one of the organisations in support of a change, "acts of sabotage" meant the session ran out of time before the motion was officially passed.

Do you think it's time daylight savings was ended?

Those in favour of the new scheme believe accidents will be reduced on the roads and there will be fewer pedestrian fatalities, as it will become much lighter in the winter evenings – particularly when school children and workers are making their way home.

Under the proposals, Britain's clocks would be shifted forward by one hour throughout the year, so an hour of daylight moves from the morning to the evening.

David Williams MBE, GEM chief executive, revealed he has grave concerns about the event in the House of Commons and noted that the hold up in changing the system will cost more lives on the road.

He said: "Poor weather, decreased visibility and bad road conditions are all rife during the winter months and have a serious effect on the rise in accidents and hazardous breakdown situations. Changing the clocks is proven to add further to the dangers for road users."

Mr Williams also explained that making the change will reduce electricity bills and hugely decrease the amount of pollution caused by electric lights.

Do you think lighter winter nights will reduce accidents?

Are the driving test changes a good idea?

Autobulbs Direct — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Posted by Richard Sinclair

There has been a lot of talk about the fact that younger drivers don't have the experience to take to the roads on their own, but now new measures have been implemented to ensure new drivers are aware of the challenges the roads can pose.

From today the theory test has been revamped to make it more difficult for learner drivers to memorise the answers to the questions posed on the test.

This practice has been going on for a number of years and means new drivers are not aware of the theory behind driving and simply know which answers fit with which questions.

Under the new plans, the answers to the multiple choice element of the exam will not be published in advance in exact form in books and other materials that have become popular in recent years.

The changes come into force as new research from the AA has revealed that a number of drivers are unaware of some of the basic rules of the road.

One in four drivers don't know who has priority when traffic lights are out, with 23 per cent believing that the correct answer was traffic going straight on, three per cent said it was those turning right and two per cent plumped for those turning left.

However, the correct answer is that nobody has priority.

The AA said: "With a quarter of motorists not knowing this, it could easily result in accidents and road rage."

New official driving and riding theory books were published in September 2011 to help candidates cope with the changes that have come into force today and a number of motoring organisations, including the AA, have published their own unofficial guides to passing the theory test.

Mark Peacock, head of AA Driving School said: "Learners should not unduly worry about the changes to the test. The new test calls for greater understanding, which can be gained from professional tuition and some time spent revising – both of which would have been needed to pass the theory test confidently before the changes."

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has said that the new measures will allow those learning to drive to gain a better knowledge and understanding of driving theory.

Road safety minister Mike Penning said: "By bringing a stop to publication of theory test questions we aim to encourage candidates to prepare by learning each topic area thoroughly rather than just memorising the questions and answers."

Do you think the changes are a good idea?

While the changes to the theory test have been implemented, some organisations are calling for further improvements to the practical test in order to give younger drivers and those taking their test more experience before they are allowed onto the roads alone.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists has renewed its call for the government to make driving on rural A-roads a mandatory part of the driving test, as it released figures stating that 82 per cent of rural fatal and serious casualties are on single carriageway roads compared with just 18 per cent on motorways and dual carriageway roads.

Under the current practical testing system, examination on A-roads is not required, and while the majority of instructors will give their pupils experience on a wide variety of roads in different conditions to give young people the best chance of survival, the organisation believes some only teach to the existing test standard.

Knowledge of parking, emergency stops and low speed manoeuvres is passed on to learners, but dealing with high speed corners, bad weather and overtaking are far more vital skills and are often not taught.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: "The roads where drivers, especially young drivers, are most frequently killed and injured are still not consistently part of the driving test. The minister recently announced young drivers would be allowed to use motorways when accompanied by an instructor, but it is single carriageway A-roads where the real problem lies."

Would these changes make the roads a safer place?