The Best Car Finance Blog In The World

I know it’s a subject I talk about a lot but as we run up to Christmas I’m onto drink driving. It was shocking reading for the Government, about to launch their Christmas campaign, that one in four drivers admit to drink driving recently. The survey was carried out on behalf of insurer Quinn Direct but the real shock was that nearly 80% of under 24’s said they had never driven under the influence of alcohol whilst 25% of the over 55’s admitted to driving whilst over the limit. 31% of men admitted to Read more »

There was a programme on the BBC on Thursday 25^th November called Rip-off Britain. In the first part a couple bought a used car that broke down within a few miles of driving it off the forecourt. This is clearly wrong and the buyer was entitled to his money back but it seemed that lack of assistance from Trading Standards meant that the buyer accepted what the dealer said and sold the car on at a loss. It’s a disgrace. The RMIF representative stated that there are 9 million used cars changing hands Read more »

I’ve been in this industry long enough to know that there are ways to get hold of dodgy MOT test certificates although since everything is on central computers now I believed that it wasn’t possible to fiddle certificates any longer. Well to prove me wrong a garage owner has been jailed for 6 months for passing 2,500 vehicles without failing a single one. Video evidence was collected against Noor Hussain for presentation at Preston Crown Court. It showed cars going in and out of the test bay in 7 Read more »

On the subject of health and safety the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) carried out a study into ‘in car’ distractions and found that reaction times were affected by what we listen to on the radio. It found that reaction times were 20% slower when listening to sport. The reaction times were found to be similar to those found when drivers had been drinking and driving. Whilst plenty of studies had been carried out on mobile phone use whilst driving, few studies had been carried out into the effects Read more »

Our Government said that they would review some of our health and safety regulations with a view to reduce the ridiculous levels that some regulations have reached making it difficult for companies to function properly. After releasing his report Common Sense, Common Safety, Lord Young has been criticised for ignoring some of the improvements in conditions that health and safety regulations have introduced into the workplace. Whilst it was Lord Young’s intention to reduce bureaucracy Read more »

Recalls have been massive this year, we now have the biggest ever announced by Nissan. There are 2.1 million cars affected worldwide with 84,000 in the UK. Most of the cars affected are Micras built from 2004 – 06 with a few Pathfinders. The problem is a faulty relay in the engine control module which can cause the engine to stall. Nissan insist that this is simply precautionary and that no accidents have been caused by engines suddenly cutting out. Nissan are sending out notices to car owners Read more »

A new code of conduct is set to be launched this month by the Retail Motor Industry Federation, the association responsible for dealers and workshops. The scheme is set up to promote best practice and help to maintain standards for motorists, covering servicing and repairs. However, not everyone is impressed as there are already others operating similar controls, such as the AA, who argue that there are already too many in operation. AA technical specialist Vanessa Guyll said, ‘Multiple codes Read more »

Do you ever wonder why some friends, relations or work colleagues drive a better car than you? There is a very good reason – because they know more than you do! Want to know more than them? Then download my book and you could be one step better than them! You deserve to drive a great car. By Graham Hill

We’re getting to that time of year when I’m sure I’ll have plenty of reports relating to tyres but before we get into the summer/winter tyre debates a question has come up regarding speed ratings on tyres. When a car is new tyres are often fitted by the manufacturer that have a speed rating much higher than the car is capable of travelling. For example a car may be fitted with V rated tyres, safe to a speed of 149 miles per hour. The question is should the same tyres be fitted when they are due Read more »

I have always been mystified why the non wearing of seatbelts doesn’t attract points on the driver’s licence. You will receive a fixed penalty fine of £60 but no points for what is considered to be a serious road traffic offense. The Scottish Parliament thinks likewise and has now written to Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, pushing for a change in the law claiming that 19 road deaths could have been prevented in Scotland during 2009 if belts were worn. Scottish Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill, Read more »