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How safe do you feel driving to work on a Monday morning? If the statistics produced by swiftcover.com are anything to go by you should feel less safe than any other day of the week. According to their 2013 claim data drivers were more likely to have a driving incident resulting in a claim on a Monday (17%) than any other day of the week.

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You are 36% more likely to have a windscreen claim on a Monday than any other

A car crash on Jagtvej in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

day, their statistics showed that the average was 10,000 on a Monday compared to the daily average of 7,922. Monday also sees a rise in single vehicle incidents, i.e. a car that hits a bollard or lamppost with no other vehicles involved. So what are the reasons for this higher number of incidents on a Monday?

Maxine Tighe, head of motor claims at swiftcover.com, suggests that it is the result of bleary eyed motorists recovering from the weekend and trying to get back into work mode lacking concentration. They found that whilst Monday was a bad day for single vehicle collisions Friday was the worst for multi-vehicle collisions as people dash home for the weekend, especially during the rush hour mayhem.

The weekend is safest as there are fewer cars on the roads. On the other hand loss of keys, vandalism and theft all rise on a Saturday and Sunday as cars are more at risk parked outside homes. How very very interesting swiftcover.com! Yawn!

Here is an interesting scam that is apparently on the rise. Crooks are buying cars from dealers, often using stolen credit cards, then selling the car privately to an unsuspecting buyer. When the dealer realises that the payment has bounced the car is listed on the Police National Computer (PNC) and the police alerted that the car has been stolen.

Thinking of a change but unsure as to the best way to finance your car? Then you need a copy of my car finance book, Car Finance – A Simple Guide by Graham Hill. Click on the link below to buy the best car finance book on the market, available as a Kindle Book and Paper Back.

Following this, and often with the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (APNR) Cameras the police apprehend the innocent driver and confiscate the car. But there is a question mark over the legality of this confiscation. If a crook stole a car from say a car park and sold it to a third party title doesn’t pass and the owner has every right to recover the vehicle.

However, if a car is sold by someone who has HP on the car and the buyer wasn’t aware of the HP at the time of purchase then he is regarded as an ‘Innocent Buyer’ and title passes but what happens if the car is bought with a credit card and therefore subject to finance does title pass?

The question for the police to answer is, ‘Has the car been obtained by fraudulent means or by theft?’ Theft is clear cut – title does not pass but where the transaction is fraudulent then title can pass to the innocent buyer. The problem for the buyer is that it can be hard to trace whether the car was stolen or not.

You may be able to locate the last owner but he may have sold the car privately, to a dealer or through auction and it could have passed through several hands before ending up on a dealer’s forecourt from whom the car was either fraudulently purchased or stolen.

As always you should  check with HPI to see if the car has been written off or on finance when buying privately, also if the person selling you the car isn’t the person to whom the car is registered check the previous owner and find out who bought the car from him and check that title has passed. Better still lease a new car from me – so much easier and trustworthy. By Graham Hill

Back in the 60’s, when I lived in Slough, obviously we are talking a very young age, they came up with a unique traffic calming system on the A4 that ran alongside the huge industrial estate.

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They had a series of traffic lights, about 8 I believe, and if you stuck exactly to 30mph you would breeze through the lot without stopping, much to the joy of the locals and much to the annoyance of them there strangers just passing through.

My dad would be sitting at the lights and a boy racer would turn up on the outside lane with his supped up Cooper S, sitting at the lights whilst revving the piston rings out of the car and glancing over at my dad who would have a bit of a wry smile on his face. Lights change to amber and the Cooper S is off like brown smelly stuff off a shovel.

Next set of lights he would be sitting there whilst the old man sedately cruised by at 30mph just as the lights turned. And so on and so on. Why have I shared these joyous memories with you? Because technology has finally caught up nearly 50 years later thanks to Audi. They have brought out a traffic light recognition system that they say could put an end to waiting at the traffic lights.

The system works via the in car’s Audi Connect which creates a link between the car and the local traffic light network. The system displays a required speed that the driver must stick to in order to smoothly glide through each set of traffic lights.

The system is apparently developed and ready to go. Can’t wait! Oh, and if you are driving down the A4 and the traffic calming is still operational I’d love to know. Drop me a line! By Graham Hill

Related articles

• Audi’s Innovative Traffic Light Assist (auto2014.wordpress.com)

Road markings are in a terrible state of repair. So says a report prepared by the Road Safety Markings Association (RSMA). Yep there is actually an association for road markings. They explain that nearly 50% of lane markings on major roads need replacing with only 16% of motorway lines considered to be excellent.

Thinking of a change but unsure as to the best way to finance your car? Then you need a copy of my car finance book, Car Finance – A Simple Guide by Graham Hill. Click on the link below to buy the best car finance book on the market, available as a Kindle Book and Paper Back.

The study was carried out over 2,500 miles of English roads which came to the conclusion that pot holes are not the only issues on our roads. The report suggested that 52% of markings on motorways, 42% on dual carriageways and 48% on single carriageways should either be replaced right now or scheduled as a matter of urgency.

National director of the RSMA, George Lee, said, ‘It’s shameful that half England’s road markings are so worn out.’ The worst road in England isn’t far from me, the M3 between Bagshot and Camberly in Surrey where they found 94% of white lines in need of work.

As usual the Department for Transport kicked out a spokesman who explained that the country’s roads were among the safest in the world, and that the Highways Agency took prompt action to repair markings as part of a planned maintenance strategy.

Apparently not Mr DfT spokesman or there would have been no need for the sodding report! Good grief, when will we ever see action rather than excuses? By Graham Hill

M65 Junction 5 - geograph.org.uk - 1187545 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I hope, like me, you understand the need to cone off road works on motorways for the safety of those who work on the roads. I don’t even mind the mile or so of cones, aimed at slowing down the drivers before the actual road works begin, having read some absolute horror stories of workers, killed or maimed by drivers trying to jump one extra place on the road before being forced over by one lane.

Thinking of a change but unsure as to the best way to finance your car? Then you need a copy of my car finance book, Car Finance – A Simple Guide by Graham Hill. Click on the link below to buy the best car finance book on the market, available as a Kindle Book and Paper Back.

Having had the misfortune of having a flat tyre on a motorway and being forced to stop on the hard shoulder whilst cars and trucks come pounding past, even at 70mph, made for one of the most frightening experiences in my many years of driving. So I understand the need for worker safety but when I start throwing toys out of the pram is when I am travelling along the long stretch of M25 restricted to 50mph followed by a long stretch of A23 at the end of the M23 restricted to 40mph when there is no bugger working. In fact I am often, at 3.00 in the morning, the only driver for miles but I still have to stick to the road work restrictions for fear that the average speed cameras report me for doing 10mph over the restricted speed.

Even when I’m convinced that the cameras aren’t able of taking pictures or measuring your average speed at night. Having suffered these constraints for a couple of years already I was very pleased to see that the Highways Agency were considering introducing variable speed limits on sections of motorways being worked upon.

English: Road works This is a road works at this location, in time for summer driving. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The new average speed limits would be assessed on a case by case basis but it is expected that limits could be raised at off peak times and times when no one was working on the restricted section of road. About bloody time! By Graham Hill

We are back onto speed limits. A new study, carried out in Denmark over the last 2 years by the Danish Road Directorate, has concluded that higher speed limits on not just motorways but also single carriageway rural roads makes roads safer and saves lives.

Thinking of a change but unsure as to the best way to finance your car? Then you need a copy of my car finance book, Car Finance – A Simple Guide by Graham Hill. Click on the link below to buy the best car finance book on the market, available as a Kindle Book and Paper Back.

They increased the limits on rural roads from 50mph to 56mph which resulted in fewer accidents. Slower drivers were observed to drive faster and faster drivers actually dropped their speed by 1mph. This resulted in less frustration and less overtaking as the differential between the fastest and slowest drivers decreased.

On sections of their motorways where speed limits were increased from 68mph to 80mph 9 years ago fatalities also dropped. The Alliance of British Drivers suggested that the latest moves by the Government to restrict speed limits further could be a step in the wrong direction following these findings.

A spokesperson for the Transport Research Laboratory was a little more cautious and said that the findings were ‘interesting’ but was more interested in the risk of injury rather than the risk of a crash which is what the report focused upon.

I can see the argument for higher speed limits on motorways, certainly after certain times at night when there are fewer cars on the road but not sure about single carriageway rural roads. It will be interesting to see if the Government takes this up. By Graham Hill

Whilst catching up on some of the stranger things to come out of the budget I noticed that the pound coin is about to change. Well when I say ‘about’ I mean in 2017 when it will be launched. I have seen the design and if you are as old as me you will immediately think of the thrupney piece.

Thinking of a change but unsure as to the best way to finance your car? Then you need a copy of my car finance book, Car Finance – A Simple Guide by Graham Hill. Click on the link below to buy the best car finance book on the market, available as a Kindle Book and Paper Back.

It’s the usual bronze colour but it has 12 sides and has been described by the Rotal Mint as the most secure in the world. However the new design comes at a cost as all vending machines will have to be modified at a cost. According to the British Parking Association, the cost to local authorities of the modification to their parking metres will be £50 million alone.

However, they also said that this will give the authorities the opportunity to upgrade their machines to also accept credit/debit cards at the same time. The move has been instigated by the Treasury because 4% of all £1 coins in circulation are counterfeit and this is already costing local authorities a fortune as banks refuse to accept them.

Personally I’m confused as I can’t see that making the £1 coin 12 sided makes it any less capable of being replicated. If there was some hidden ingredient in the metal that made it detectable I could understand it but it’s a lump of metal that has either been stamped out or forged (that’s metal forged not as in illegally forged – oh you know what I mean).

Royal Mint X Mirai Suenaga (Photo credit: Danny Choo)

So I can’t see how it will stop the crooks? Obviously the Royal Mint knows more about these things than me! By Graham Hill

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• Forging into the future: Royal Mint is combining history with technology (dailymail.co.uk)

Flooding on our street (Photo credit: jessicafm)

We saw the sad pictures on TV following the floods in various parts of the country. People’s homes were wrecked with thousands of pounds of damage caused to furniture and possessions.

Thinking of a change but unsure as to the best way to finance your car? Then you need a copy of my car finance book, Car Finance – A Simple Guide by Graham Hill. Click on the link below to buy the best car finance book on the market, available as a Kindle Book and Paper Back.

But what about all the cars we saw up to their bonnets in muddy water. Many would be subject to insurance claims and be paid out with a large number being written off according to the AA. And if a car is written off they are subjected to some very stringent rules before, if ever, they are allowed back on the road.

But it would seem that many drivers either didn’t make a claim or couldn’t because their policy didn’t cover them for flood damage. They simply dried the car out, maybe changed the carpets and have been selling them privately or through auction, possibly ending up on dealer forecourts.

Amazingly 70% of all cars that have been submersed in water are written off due to engine damage or electrical safety problems. Water can also seriously damage air bags and catalytic converters, something you may not notice when buying a used car. So be very careful if you are buying a used car, you might find yourself buying an ex flood damaged car. By Graham Hill

This next item is of particular interest if you drive or are thinking of driving a petrol car. You may or not be aware that when petrol is manufactured, or whatever the correct expression is, it has to conform to British standards and for many years the standard blend of fuel in the UK has been known as E5.

Thinking of a change but unsure as to the best way to finance your car? Then you need a copy of my car finance book, Car Finance – A Simple Guide by Graham Hill. Click on the link below to buy the best car finance book on the market, available as a Kindle Book and Paper Back.

This means that petrol has to be blended with 5% Ethanol which cuts down greenhouse gas emissions. The downside is that it delivers 30% less power than petrol but with just 5% added the difference has hardly been noticeable. However, this is about to change because from March 2013 British Standard EN228 has allowed petrol companies to increase the ethanol content to 10%, known surprisingly as E10.

To date none seem to have adopted the new blend as it has been found to cause a problem in older cars. In the US they have investigated the differences the new blend makes to cars and found that there is a drop in economy of about 3-4% between E10 and pure petrol (E0).

In real terms, following an investigation by What Car, on a Dacia Sandero 89bhp, the drop in MPG meant a difference in fuel cost of £202 every 12,000 miles. A 98bhp Hyundai i30 had a 9.8% drop in economy between E0 and E10 amounting to an extra £16 per month. Hybrids performed a little better.

It is thought that 39% of UK road transport CO2 comes from petrol engines and Ethanol has been proposed as a quick fix to help to reduce this. The expected carbon saving is anticipated to be 58% but What Car tests have found that there is actually a slight increase in carbon emissions.

The general feel is that whilst the fuel companies won’t introduce E10 before the end of this year – it will come eventually. Before you start to panic the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders(SMMT) have said that 92.2% of all cars are OK with E10 and that cars built after 2002 should be in the clear but check the manual before filling up.

E5 will still be available so we will be back to the days of ‘Super’ grade and ‘Super Plus’ grade petrol. If a garage sells 3 million litres a year it must offer both grades, less than this and the site will need to decide which grade to offer. Retailers don’t have to identify E5 petrol however the Biofuel (labelling) Regulations state that pumps dispensing more than 5% Ethanol must clearly show it on the pumps so E10 will be clearly labelled.

Manufacturers have known about this for a few years so all new cars will be compatible with E10, yet another reason why you should lease a new car rather than HP a used car! By Graham Hill

Related articles

• New E10 Petrol ‘Reduces Fuel Efficiency’ (news.sky.com)

Over the years there have been many reports about claims management companies, otherwise known as ‘ambulance chasers’ allegedly paying off police, health staff and insurance staff for details of anyone involved in car accidents. They then contact the driver to see if he or his passengers suffered any personal injuries and offering to manage any claims, whether injuries were suffered or not.

Thinking of a change but unsure as to the best way to finance your car? Then you need a copy of my car finance book, Car Finance – A Simple Guide by Graham Hill. Click on the link below to buy the best car finance book on the market, available as a Kindle Book and Paper Back.

In extreme cases those involved in accidents have been ‘encouraged’ to make a personal injury claim after suggesting that a little bit of residual back pain could be whiplash. They also provide a management service including a hire car that is recharged to the insurance company.

You could often deal with these things much more efficiently yourself or via your broker than using the claims management company who have been known to recharge the insurance company with the cost of renting a BMW and providing a Citroen C1 (that’s nothing like a BMW).

The latest occurrence of this crime was a crooked staff member working for AVIVA Insurance who passed on details of accident claims to claims management companies. Drivers started getting calls from several claims management companies offering their services – free of charge following an accident.

They would say that they would look after the whole of the accident claim on your behalf. One gentleman had a simple bang into his neighbour’s car which was settled immediately, he then had up to 5 calls a day from accident management companies offering legal advice to cover his ‘injury claim’ when there clearly wasn’t one.

The AVIVA employee has been sacked and an investigation is being carried out by the police and AVIVA have confirmed that no personal or medical data has been passed on and apologised. Their advice, which is the same as mine if phoned, is simply say the claim has been settled and hang up.

They are charlatans trying to make a quick buck whilst increasing all our premiums. I’m sure, whilst greed exists, we haven’t heard the last of this type of crime. Just don’t get into a conversation whenever they call. By Graham Hill