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The Health & Safety Act 2008, which increases penalties for those who break health and safety laws, has received its royal assent. The act raises the maximum penalty from £5,000 to £20,000 and the range of offences for which an individual can be imprisoned has also been broadened. I will hopefully be able to bring you more information over the next few weeks. Don’t forget that health and safety at work extends to vehicles used for company business. By Graham Hill

It is that time of year when safety organisations remind drivers to carry out safety checks to ensure that you don’t find yourself with a broken car or skidding out of control on icy roads. Make sure that you check your tyres and pressures and your brakes. You can have your battery condition checked for free at most battery fitters, better to replace before you get into the car on a frosty morning and find the battery dead. Check the Read more »

Manufacturers were going a bit crazy last week as they warned contract hire companies and brokers from selling on hugely discounted new cars. As though this was earth shatteringly new! It isn’t, how do you think the car supermarkets have been able to sell new cars more cheaply than main dealers can buy them for? The practice of daily rental companies selling on brand new cars to Read more »

Finally it would seem that fewer people are using private cars for business since the Government chose not to adjust the Approved Mileage Allowance Payment (AMAP) in line with increasing running costs especially the increase in fuel costs. The rates are still set at 40 pence per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25 pence per mile thereafter, tax and NI free. This rate was set six years ago Read more »

A free website was launched earlier in the year aimed at reducing carbon emissions and increasing the efficient use of taxis. The website is www.emptycabs.com . The website is a free message board where anyone looking to book a taxi, to an airport for example, can be put in touch with Read more »

As if to support my comments made over the last few weeks market analyst Datamoniter has recorded a growth in vehicle leasing in the fleet sector as more companies release cash tied up in their vehicles and reduce exposure to market conditions by selling off the cars they own and replace them with leased vehicles. New vehicle sales generally slumped further in August from the July drop of 7.3% to an unprecedented 15.6%. Consumers, unaware of the cash flow benefits of leasing new cars, have really Read more »

Now is the time to take great care with the funders, dealers and brokers, both online and offline, that you use to fund your next car. Things are getting tough and having lived through the last recession I know many of the tricks and scams that they all get up to in order to secure life saving orders. Cars are expensive items and great care should be taken over the selection of suppliers. I’ve been in this industry for over 25 years and I am Read more »

The Institute of Advanced Motorists has found that young male drivers cope better at busy junctions than young females. It found that the most common accident for a young driver in an urban area is at a junction. Forty three percent of young men and 46% of young women struggle to cope at busy intersections. What that proves – I don’t know other than take more care when approaching a junction where another driver is a young woman rather than a young man! Whatever! By Graham Hill

Motoring costs have increased by 19% in the last year according to the RAC’s Annual Cost of Motoring Index. The average cost of running a family car has increased to £2,435, an increase of £277. This equates to £47 per week or 20.3 pence per mile. The index found that depreciation, which is causing major problems for rental and leasing companies is on average £826 more per year. The happy bunnies at the RAC have predicted that costs will rise further with volatile fuel prices and the uncertain economic climate. By Graham Hill

Animal damage is on the increase according to contract hire company Masterlease. During 2007 animal damage cost Masterlease customers nearly £100,000 after vehicles were in collision with a variety of animals from badgers, cattle, deer and pheasants to domestic cats and dogs. The most common collision was with deer, accounting for 28% of all animal collisions. Pheasants caused 21% and badgers 9%. However, the surprising big increase was accidents involving cattle which caused an average of £1,100 worth of damage to each vehicle. By Graham Hill