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Rip off Britain is still alive and well and currently living in the diesel fuel pumps! According to latest figures Britain now has the highest priced diesel in Europe even though the actual cost of the diesel before taxes is the lowest. In January the cost of diesel was 51.1 pence per litre (ppl), according to the National Statistics Office. In February it rose slightly Read more »

Insurance and fuel duty increases have been blamed for the inflation busting increase of 6.3% announced by the RAC in their Cost of Motoring Index. The average cost has increased by £346 over last year’s cost taking it up to £6,000. Depreciation has also had an effect although some costs such as Vehicle Excise Duty (car tax) and car finance have dropped. The annual study assesses the running costs of 17 new cars from the Toyota Yaris to the Land Rover Discovery. Each model’s bills are weighted Read more »

Daft gadget of the week award – Tyrepal. That’s probably a little unfair because this new device monitors the tyre pressures and tyre temperatures and therefore could prevent an accident and even save a life. You fit four sensors on your tyre valves to replace the valve caps and a small screen that looks a bit like a sat nav monitors each wheel and warns of any dangers, all done wirelessly. The device, according to Read more »

Auto Express has uncovered a potential hugely dangerous oversight that many drivers may make when taking out insurance. Most of us are aware that we need to provide details of any modifications carried out on our cars when we complete the application form but few would consider the fitting of a towbar as a modification that could invalidate the insurance if not declared. When one of their readers tried to renew Read more »

Calls have been made for more information regarding driving abroad to be more easily available. As I have reported previously countries have different rules regarding insurance, breakdown cover, warning triangles, emergency fluorescent jackets, replacement light bulbs and first aid kits. But there are other rules regarding drink driving, speeding and parking that could result in some very heavy fines and even Read more »

Shell has shaken up car manufacturers by insisting that all cars supplied into their 14,000 vehicle fleet must have any fitted Sat Nav’s disabled whilst the car is in motion in the same way that DVD players, fitted into the dashboard of some cars, are disabled when the car is in motion.  Audible instructions would still be activated. Shell is well known for placing health and safety high on its corporate agenda and Read more »

Clarion, manufacturers of portable satellite navigation systems, have been highly criticised by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and safety organisation Brake over their new model, the MAP970 which displays text messages on the screen. The criticisms follow a report by the RAC that 39% of UK motorists have been seriously distracted by in car entertainment, sat navs and mobile phones Brake point out that reading text messages whilst driving is Read more »

Experts are warning that the hike in fuel duty taking place this week by 2.3 pence per litre could be the start of significant increases on the way as crude oil increases in cost and the reduced rate VAT is set to end. The RAC predict that pump prices could return to the levels of summer 2008 at around £1.20 litre. So if you are thinking of changing your car you should make sure that you take a close look at fuel consumption, there is no longer the clear distinction between petrol and diesel. By Graham Hill

The RAC and AA have both warned drivers about the need for them to consider their roadside assistance cover. As more drivers are holding onto their cars for longer, during the recession, either by not replacing them or through lease extensions, they are forgetting to take out roadside assistance cover. Very often the car is covered from new for a period of three years but even if you car is only a year old you may find that the cover for years 2 & 3 is less than year one cover. This is often because Read more »

So what’s distracting motorists the most? For the ladies is it the dress shop with that great dress in the window or the little lambs playing in the field or for the men is it that page 3 model who just happens to be walking down the street as you are driving down it or the brand new Aston Martin that you are just about to burn off from the traffic lights? Or of course Read more »