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Apparently you could get free new cars from Vauxhall until recently provided you were a driving school and you ran a fleet of 3,500 vehicles. This astonishing fact has only just come to light as a result of Vauxhall refusing to provide free of charge cars any longer to BSM and telling them that they will now have to pay. Cars were provided on a 6 month turnaround so Vauxhall were providing 7,000 cars a year for free. BSM is owned by Aviva, formally Norwich Union, who now face costs of millions of pounds – time to sell shares? By Graham Hill

When was the last time you had your eyes tested? And if you have glasses for driving do you wear them? In a survey carried out by Specsavers they found that one in 10 drivers have had an accident or near miss because they were not wearing their glasses while driving. The survey also found that 26% of drivers have not had their eyesight checked since they passed their test, of those nearly half Read more »

It has been predicted that insurance premiums are set to rise by around 10% next year with further rises expected over the following 2 years. You really need to look carefully at your requirements and ways to protect your no-claims bonus. With all the hype surrounding the comparison sites don’t write off your local broker, I saved £70 per annum by switching to a local broker who provided Read more »

Anyone who has bought my book, An Insider Guide To Car Finance also received, free of charge my Hints, Tips and Safety book. In this free book I include loads of great advice, some of which explains the importance of having your headrest adjusted to the correct height in order to avoid whiplash. Clearly not enough people have read this advice as nearly 1,200 people claim every day for whiplash damage following Read more »

There are now fewer illegal drivers on our roads according to a recent operation undertaken by fifty two police forces throughout the UK under the operation name of V79. During the operation 6,689 motorists were randomly stopped and results compared to a similar operation carried out in 2006. The number of drivers stopped without valid vehicle tax or licence fell by half. The number of vehicles without Read more »

Even in these enlightened times and a greater awareness of employer responsibilities when it comes to health and safety at work relating to those who drive a car on business, a recent survey revealed that a third of drivers opt for the cash alternative to a company car. This is so dangerous as drivers who need as much money as they can save to simply pay their household bills, Read more »

Following from my recent warnings about the use of some brokers that advertise on the Internet the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) have warned also that it is a big risk using a broker who is not accredited by one of the professional bodies. We are members of the NACFB and in addition to complying to a code of practice it is also a condition of membership Read more »

Insurance fraud is growing to epidemic proportions. In the latest scam police arrested a company director who has been allegedly raking in millions of pounds in a ‘crash for cash’ scam involving luxury cars. Detectives arrested a 23 year old man following a raid on his flat in Paddington after an 8 month investigation. The police have confirmed that they are still on the look out for a second person in connection with the crime. In a raid on a warehouse in Tottenham police seized 13 cars supposedly Read more »

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

Insurance giant Norwich Union has warned businesses with fleet insurance policies to avoid the practice known as ‘Fronting’. This practice allows people who are not directly connected to the company to drive under its insurance. Mike Smith of NU said ‘Fronting in most instances, will invalidate the company insurance policy, leaving the business to pay for any damage to their vehicle. Also if any other driver is involved in an accident, while the insurer will be obliged to meet any liability cost, they can seek recovery of any such payments from the policyholder.’ By Graham Hill