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As you know, I try to report some of the most dopey things that happen in the motor industry. This week insurance companies come under fire. As I have reported on several occasions there is a strong move towards having two sets of tyres, one set for the summer and another set for the harsher winters we seem to be experiencing. For some it seems to make sense and I must say in the last dumping of the white stuff I’m sure that if I had winter tyres fitted I would have been able to drive my care Read more »

The latest re-call of cars has come out of VW both of which have involved fuel pipe faults that could cause fires. The recall includes 370,000 cars consisting of Jettas, Jetta estates and Golf models sold between 2007 and 2009. A small plastic tab could cause a fuel pipe leak. The second fault is on the 2.5 litre Beetle. A clamp in the power steering system could pierce the fuel supply line. I was starting to wonder who on the planet would own a 2.5 litre Beetle and it was then announced that all Read more »

In Derbyshire police are looking for volunteers to point hand held guns at offending motorists. From March 2011 trained locals will be out in force on key stretches of road, clocking those exceeding the limit and passing on details to the police. There are similar ‘community speedwatch’ schemes cropping up all over the country so there could be one coming to you soon. The police cannot prosecute motorists found speeding but they send a letter warning them about their driving which they believe has the necessary effect. By Graham Hill

After a short respite it seems that the GATSO’s that were switched off earlier this year, due to withdrawn grants to run them, are set to be switched back on. The 72 cameras in Oxfordshire that were switched off in July will be switched back on in April 2011. A new agreement, adopted by 24 police forces, will mean that they will be given a portion of the cash collected from drivers who attend awareness courses in lieu of points on their licences. Whilst this will again cause those who are against Read more »

During the recent cold spell a new type of crime has emerged causing the police to issue a warning. They are advising motorists not to leave their cars unattended whilst they wait for the screens to defrost, following a spate of incidents whereby cars have been stolen whilst left unattended with the engines running. The latest case was a Vauxhall Corsa stolen from a drive in Merthyr Tydfil when the owner left the engine running whilst he went back into his house. In another incident in Thurrock, Essex a man was de-icing his Peugeot when a thief got in and drove it away. The thief crashed the car causing £500 of damage, then ran off. The police have warned that motorists that warm their cars up this way are making it easy for thieves. Known as ‘frosting’ this type of theft will also leave drivers potentially without insurance cover as insurance companies may argue that the driver was not taking reasonable care. Heated windscreens will help to cut the number of frosting incidents but for those who want to clear the frost the best way is with some de-icer rather than leaving the engine running. Do you leave your engine running whilst clearing the ice off the windscreen? By Graham Hill

Related articles

• Car owners warned against ‘frosting’ car crime (money.marksandspencer.com)
• Mother clings to steering wheel after thief steals car as she scrapes ice from windscreen (dailymail.co.uk)

The AA has suggested that the way we pay for Road Fund Licences be changed to a monthly direct debit system whilst retaining the option to pay annually, in a similar way to TV licences. As they pointed out through their head of public affairs, Paul Watters, ‘We always favour methods that make payment easier.’ It therefore makes sense to introduce a method that helps to collect more of the overdue licences especially as the latest Government figures show that road tax evasion has increased by Read more »

This year has been a bit of a struggle for many industry sectors but not so much for the motor industry. Following the scrappage scheme it was expected that the motor industry would contract and dealerships close, something I personally didn’t think would happen. In anticipation of a potential downturn the manufacturers started to scale down production in 2008/9, some would say too far, as virtually every new car drifted out to long delivery lead times as demand remained relatively high. This Read more »

One of the most staggering things I reported recently was the running costs of used cars versus new cars, it was cheaper to run a new car than a used car. Now to add to the pain of used car motoring, statistics from secondary warranty suppler, Warranty Direct, shows that one in three repairs carried out on cars from 3 years old to seven years old is as a result of wear and tear. The small print in most of these warranty policies excludes such items so whilst motorists who take out these policies Read more »

A Fleet News survey has shocked many involved in the leasing industry but confirms my long held views that end of lease charges have been spiraling out of control. And this is just the tip of the iceberg because the survey has been carried out amongst the larger fleets only, the companies valued by the lessors and invariably looked after. When questioned the customers have complained that they have received recharges for stone chips and minor scuffs, the sort of damage that had been previously Read more »

Recently we have seen another couple of leasing companies amalgamate reducing the competition in the marketplace. This isn’t good news for the industry and it certainly isn’t good news for the customers as it continues to erode the competition. There are also fewer leasing companies dealing with brokers and the withdrawal of  consumer business by some, most notably Lombard, has resulted in a major contraction of the UK lease market and fewer great deals available. There has been an Read more »