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Lex Autolease have carried out a study on 21,000 vehicles used for business with some startling results. Driver negligence has not only pushed up maintenance and repair bills but also resulted in fines for drivers and even loss of licences. The biggest cost burdens have been misfuelling, windscreen damage, illegal tyres and vehicle downtime. Average cost to replace a windscreen is Read more »

If you have had reason to have your driving licence updated because of a change of address or your licence has run out of date (don’t forget that the new photo licences only last for 10 years), you need to check it for any omissions. The DVLA have admitted that some licences have been returned with errors, in particular entitlements such as the entitlement to drive a motorcycle. One would think that the solution was simple Read more »

The importance of using a broker rather than a bucket shop for lease cars has been highlighted again this week following the consolidation of the leasing industry. Where your lease provider may have been merged or taken over by another provider you may find yourself subjected to end of lease charges that you may not have received by the original provider who may have been fairly relaxed about defleet recharges. Read more »

This month is Tyre Safety Month! I know I probably didn’t need to mention this as you probably knew already but what it has done is highlight the fact that 80% of cars have tyres that are incorrectly inflated. Incorrectly inflated tyres can affect the handling characteristics of cars and even more dangerously fully laden vans. Vans become far less stable when they carry heavy loads and tyres are incorrectly inflated. The recommendation is that Read more »

It has been estimated that there are in excess of 1 million businesses in the UK considered to be running ‘small fleets’ of company vehicles (25 or less). It would seem that the vast majority of these businesses don’t see themselves as running a ‘fleet’ of vehicles but they should be aware that the same rules and regulations regarding duty of care, health and safety and the Corporate Manslaughter Act along with 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 »

 Warnings have been issued, especially to companies who have a duty of care for those who drive on company business, about the new Government campaign to reduce the amount of drug-driving especially amongst younger drivers following research that shows 1 in 10 young male drivers admit to driving after taking illegal drugs. The £2.3 million campaign has been launched which will no doubt be complimented by increased police activity. Road safety charity Brake has also adopted the anti drink and drug driving theme for its Road Safety Week – Not A Drop, Not A Drag – taking place from November 23^rd – 29^th. By Graham Hill

One of the huge benefits to buying or leasing a new car is that you will be driving a car with all the latest safety equipment fitted. Even the most modest cars have more equipment than they had fitted even just 3 years ago. The most significant for me is the wider fitting of Electronic Stability Control (ESC) also known as ESP. This system has been proven to save more lives than ABS but isn’t mandatory until Read more »

 I am constantly banging on about the conmen out there anxious to take money from gullible customers seduced by low priced cars and low lease rates but it’s interesting to see that What Car has picked up on the problem also and warned its readers. Their first warning is to those buying a used car. You should take precautions against buying a cloned car. The first giveaway is Read more »

Following on from the warning about crooks a warning has been issued by the Finance & Leasing Association regarding another fraud that is on the increase. Bogus rental and lease companies are being set up that provide criminals with access to what appear to be legitimate insured and taxed vehicles. The vehicles are obtained fraudulently on finance then sublet with Read more »