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Aren’t statistics fantastic? It would seem that statistics show that children brought up in wealthy neighbourhoods are less likely to die or get badly injured on UK roads. The statistics, prepared by Road Safety Analysis, compared accidents linking 0 – 15 year olds to the victims’ postcodes. The UK’s most dangerous area is Preston, Lancs. Here, children are twice as likely to be killed or injured than the National average or five times more likely than the safest area, Kensington and Chelsea in Read more »

Another email warning, again believed to be a hoax, warned drivers of attacks from criminals who throw eggs at the windscreen of your car or van causing the driver to operate the windscreen wipers, making matters worse. Driving becomes impossible if the driver then sprays the windscreen with windscreen wash as it reacts with the eggs to produce an opaque goo, making it impossible to drive and force you to stop, which is exactly what the criminal wants. Again, there is evidence of eggs being Read more »

There was a hoax warning email sent out at the end of last year and it seems to be doing the rounds again so I’m mentioning it. Not because I necessarily believe that there is any truth in the warning but because it may in fact have the opposite effect of giving an idea to some of the more dangerous criminal minds out there and could result in attacks on innocent women in particular. The warning suggested that criminal types were planting baby seats at the side of rural roads with a blanket covering Read more »

If you are about to finance a car in your own name as opposed to through a business, you will need to allow a little extra time between ordering, signing the finance agreement and collection/delivery of the new car. According to the new EU Consumer Credit Directive all agreements that fall within the terms of our own Consumer Credit Act must be given a 14 day cooling off period. In the past, if you signed the agreement on trade premises, for example at a dealership or the premises of a broker Read more »

As if by magic, after writing the earlier gadget of the week article, I immediately read about the car manufacturers up in arms because the EU has just added another item of safety technology to their growing list of compulsory fitments, you guessed it Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS). They feel it is unnecessary and adds around £250 to the cost of the car (methinks they should pop down to Maplins). Whilst the manufacturers argue the toss over whether this addition will actually save Read more »

The Graham Hill gadget of the week is a tyre pressure warning system. I’ve reported on many occasions the importance of running tyres at the correct pressure. Not only is it a legal requirement punishable by points and a fine, tyres wear quicker, grip is reduced and fuel consumption can increase by up to 10%. We all know that we should check our tyres daily and at worst fortnightly (as suggested by tyre Read more »

The warranty arguments are starting to build – exactly as I predicted. Warranty Direct, one of the largest providers of aftermarket warranty insurance, first of all complained that Kia and Hyundai’s new extended warranty adverts did not make it clear that the warranty had a 100,000 mile ceiling, the same as the widely promoted Vauxhall ‘Lifetime’ warranty. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) agreed Read more »

The reputation of motorway services has never been too good, that was until M&S and Waitrose were introduced and food quality was seen to improve. But leading the way was Westmorland who actually won awards for its Tebay site in Cumbria. It was the first service station to source its produce locally for its shops and café (70%) and its green picnic area. The services even won awards from Egon Ronay. It has now Read more »

As local authorities look at ways to raise money, in order to fill the deepening hole in their finances, it’s the motorists who are about to get another kicking. After this coalition government said they wouldn’t use motorists as a cash cow, as had been seen previously, when things have been tight for local authorities. In the Surrey towns of Epsom and Ewell disabled blue badge holders are now being charged for their Read more »

Drug driving, which is considered as dangerous as drink driving and punishable by exactly the same penalties, is being targeted by the police as an area where more accurate technology is needed. As a result a new ‘drugalyser’ has been developed and will be in all police stations from 2012. The analyser will test drivers’ saliva and make it easier for police to prosecute drivers who drive whilst high on illegal substances Read more »