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Drivers in the UK have spent more than £3m buying International Driving Permits since February in preparation for a no deal Brexit.

UK motorists have bought 584,000 International Driving Permits (IDPs) since February 2019 in order to still be able to drive in Europe following a no deal Brexit.

This means drivers have spent in excess of £3.2 million on them in the last six months, according to figures revealed by transport minister Michael Ellis in response to a written Parliamentary question.

Previously, IDPs were available from 89 Post Office branches, as well as from the RAC and AA. Around 100,000 were issued each year to British motorists looking to drive outside Europe. In February, though, the rules were changed so that IDPs were only available from 2,500 Post Office branches and nowhere else.

The Government issued advice to drivers saying UK driving licences may no longer be valid in EU and EEA countries following a no-deal Brexit, which could have occurred on 29th March or 12th April 2019, before the deadline was moved to 31st October

This led to a spike in demand for IDPs, with 282,000 applications in March and 163,000 in April. A number of Post Offices saw long queues, prompting a House of Lords report to call for IDPs to be available online.

Nicholas Lyes, head of roads policy at the RAC, commented: “It’s truly astonishing that more than half a million International Driving Permits have been issued since the Government took the service in-house. In one month alone, the number of IDPs issued was almost three times higher than the amount normally issued in an entire year.

“This shows that people who were planning to take their vehicles abroad most definitely heeded warnings about being ready to drive in the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit. During the Spring, this led to long queues and even shortages of IDPs at some Post Offices.

“As we head towards the next Brexit deadline of 31st October 2019, it is vital that Post Offices are set up to cope with a sudden surge in IDP requests so that drivers are not confronted with frustrating pre-holiday delays. However, much of this will be dependent on the terms of the UK’s departure from the EU.” By Graham Hill Thanks To Auto Express

New tyres come with grading that show their performance in the wet, noise levels and fuel efficiency. However, new cars with maximum tread are only in that condition for a limited time, the question is – how do the tyres perform once they are worn and in particular when the tread drops to the legal limit of 1.6mm.

With this in mind Michelin has stepped up its campaign for mandatory tests of tyres at the legal tread depth limit in a bid to reduce waste, cut CO2 and lower costs for customers.

It has backed an EU resolution by France, which, if adopted, could see tyre performance rated when worn as well as when new. The new procedure could be adopted this autumn, and a working group has been set up at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to define the procedures for these tests, the reference tyres and regulatory thresholds.

Michelin says that although many tyres perform well when new, there are huge variations in performance at the 1.6mm legal minimum. It also claims that manufacturers can engineer tyres to perform well when worn but choose not to because there is no testing.

Michelin has campaigned for several years against the best practice theory of changing tyres at 3mm, suggesting it is too wasteful and quoting a study by Ernst & Young that predicted that running tyres to 1.6mm rather than 3mm would mean a reduction in tyre production of 128 million units in Europe alone, along with a CO2 saving of 6.6 million tonnes, and cost savings of more than £6 billion.

Some of that saving would be felt by fleet operators, many of whom adopt the best practice of changing tyres at 3mm. Having the confidence to run tyres until 1.6mm thanks to official testing would also allow employers to meet health and safety requirements.

Pierre Robert, vice-president of the ambition test programme at Michelin, said: “Dry grip improves by up to 10% on a worn tyre, and 70% of road accidents occur on dry roads. Fuel consumption is also better on a worn tyre, with up to a 20% improvement.

“But wet grip decreases, and currently it is difficult to predict performance. Tyre ratings when new are not necessarily a good indicator of performance at 3mm or when worn.”

Michelin also claims that as vehicles are increasingly equipped with new safety technology, it becomes more important that the tyres perform well to ensure the car’s features work properly.

Robert insisted that good performance when worn is a choice by the tyre manufacturer, as water dispersion ability at the legal minimum can be designed into the tread.

Tyres are currently tested and graded for fuel efficiency, wet weather performance and noise when new, giving consumers a clear indicator of performance in these areas.

Michelin says it supports the implementation of a minimum threshold for wet braking when worn to ensure consumers a minimum performance for all tyres on the market, which could see some manufacturers withdrawing tyres from the market if they fail the test.

Michelin also believes rolling resistance and noise should continue to be tested when new, as these improve with wear, although it does not want to change the labelling structure from the new tests.

Testing worn tyres
Michelin provided two circuit tests – one for handling and one for braking – to compare the performance of worn Michelin tyres with identical cars fitted with worn tyres from another premium brand.

For the braking test, we were asked to apply maximum braking force on a very wet road surface from 50mph to measure the stopping distance (calculated by GPS), while for the handling test we drove on a short lap with a mixture of wet and dry corners, gaining an impression of how the two sets of worn tyres performed.

Our braking test, taken twice on the same tyres – first for the Michelin, then for the other brand – showed a difference of more than 15m between the two, the other brand taking almost four car lengths more to stop.

The handling test showed the electronic stability control activating sooner and for longer in the rival brand tyre compared with the Michelin.

It is possible that other brands’ tyres perform better than Michelin when worn, but until mandatory tyre tests come into force, we won’t know before we make the choice. Michelin appears confident enough to face the challenge. By Graham Hill with thanks to Business Car.

Having been diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes earlier this year I checked to see if I should report the condition to the DVLA or my insurance company. I’m pleased to say that thanks to a change in diet, sadly the removal(ish) of chocolate, increased exercise and medication I’m now nearly back to the safe level. However, if you have type 2 diabetes it is a reportable condition. Certainly, if you are taking Insulin.

According to the DVLA website you need to take advice from your GP as other medication is questionable. If it affects your driving then it should be reported. Remember if you have any medical condition that could affect your driving it should be reported to the DVLA as well as your insurer. If you don’t do it you can be fined up to £1,000 by not reporting to the DVLA and if you don’t report to the condition to your Insurer and make a claim they could refuse to pay out.

Here is a list of conditions that are reportable:

Notifiable conditions are anything that could affect your ability to drive safely. They can include:

diabetes or taking insulin

syncope (fainting)

heart conditions (including atrial fibrillation and pacemakers)

sleep apnoea

epilepsy

strokes

glaucoma

If you are unsure about a particular condition take advice from your GP. If you feel that you have a reportable condition you can complete a form online for submission. Go to:

https://www.gov.uk/driving-medical-conditions

By Graham Hill

In last night’s edition of Rip-Off Britain, we followed a police team as they stopped cars without insurance. A number recognition camera mounted in the back of a police van identified vehicles without insurance and when found would alert a policeman down the road who would pull over the driver.

Without insurance, drivers were issued a ticket with a fixed penalty along with 6 points on their licence. Then to add to the pain the car was immediately uplifted and taken to the police compound resulting in additional charges.

I had no sympathy for those with no insurance but they found drivers who had purchased insurance online only to find that even though they could show that they had a certificate and proof of payment out of their bank account they had their cars impounded and ended up in court. One driver who had been scammed received a fine and points on his licence for not having a licence even though he was paying monthly, hade a certificate and policy, both of which looked fine but were fakes.

The police warned about the scams. In it’s most simple form the scammers advertised on Social Media offering insurance at 75% off (that would never happen) and only a mobile phone number as a contact point. You would receive a policy and certificate – all fake. The scammer will normally want the whole premium upfront although the man in the programme was paying £120 monthly.

The next scam was an actual broker providing a genuine policy and certificate but with all your details changed. It would show a different address, age, no claims bonus etc. When all added up it would cause the rate to drop substantially with the scammer pocketing the difference in premium. The scammer will normally expect all the premium upfront.

The last scam would result in you receiving your policy and certificate from a broker but the broker then cancels the policy without the knowledge of the driver and receives the refund of the insurance premium. Again the broker will ask for the whole of the premium upfront.

If you want to check to see if your car is insured click on the link and enter your registration number: https://ownvehicle.askmid.com/#  By Graham Hill

As the kids break up from school and we see the weather improve many of us will take to the road on day trips or even wander to the local park with the children to kick a ball about. Either way, we love our picnics so Auto Express have researched the available hampers with the following results.

Two are backpacks whilst the third is a more traditional hamper basket.

Greenfield Super Deluxe Backpack Hamper: This is a Best Buy for two people at a price of £54.99. Whilst the price appears to be high the quality is high and you get lots for your money. It’s a cut above the rest with better quality cutlery and includes things like a chopping board, wine glasses and even steel mugs. There is even a folding bag for rubbish.

The price is justified with a picnic blanket and flask although it is possible to buy a cheaper version at £37.99 on the Greenfield website if you already have these items in your cupboard. www.greenfieldcollection.co.uk

Mountain Warehouse 36L Picnic Hamper Basket: This one is recommended and is for 4 people. This is a hamper rather than a backpack and at first sight, looks as though it could be a baby’s carrycot. It has a foam-covered aluminium handle but no shoulder straps so will be a little more awkward to carry over long distances.

The hamper has a huge insulated compartment for food and a well-equipped compartment for cutlery. It includes all the essentials, plus salt/pepper shakers/ napkins and a corkscrew. The official price is £59.99 but Mountain Warehous have it on offer at £24.99 which makes it incredibly good value for money. www.mountainwarehouse.com

Mountain Warehouse 4 Person Picnic Set XL: This one is also recommended and is another set for 4 people in backpack style. This has just about everything you could ever need for a picnic including chopping board with knife, salt/pepper shakers, and a detachable insulated bottle holder.

The food storage compartment is one of the largest on test. It doesn’t include wine glasses but includes flat bottom beakers which are more practical on uneven grass. The full price is overpriced at £60 but at the current offer price of £26.99 it represents very good value. It doesn’t include a corkscrew or napkins but they can always be added. www.mountainwarehouse.com

For details of all of the tested picnic hampers you need to buy Auto Express 17-23 July 2019. If you are going on picnics don’t forget the basic rules, take your rubbish home with you if there is no litter bin available and if you are using a BBQ make sure you put out any glowing embers, it’s how fires start. Have a great summer. By Graham Hill

Over 30 million people in Europe are reported to suffer from kinetosis or motion sickness. According to Citroen one in three people will suffer from this condition at least once in their life in a car, bus, boat or plane. So Citroen have come up with a solution.

Together with a French start up company they have devised a pair of strange looking glasses that solve the problem. Initially developed for sea travel, Seetroën glasses use Boarding Ring™ technology. This patented and tested paramedical solution has an efficacy rating of 95%.

Equipped with moving liquid in the rings around the eyes, both along the frontal axis (right/left) and sagittal axis (front/back), the glasses recreate the horizon line to resolve the conflict between the senses that cause motion sickness.

For the design of the glasses, Citroën called on 5.5, a collective design studio based in Paris, which has incorporated the Brand’s fresh, simple and ergonomic style. The result is a pair of glasses with a high-tech look in white soft-touch plastic.

Seetroën glasses can be used by adults and children aged over ten (when the inner ear has finished growing). The glasses are glassless, so they can be shared by all the family and travelling companions. They can also be worn over other glasses.

The instructions from Citroen are as follows:

Seetroën glasses can be used in cars, as well as on buses, trains and planes. Put on the glasses as soon as you experience the initial symptoms.

After 10 to 12 minutes, the glasses allow the mind to resynchronise with the movement perceived by the inner ear while the eyes were focused on an immobile object such as a smartphone or a book.

Take the Seetroën glasses off and enjoy the rest of your journey. The cost is 99 Euros or about £88.40. Go to www.lifestyle.citroen.com By Graham Hill

As anyone who is looking to change their cars can tell you, like for like cars are rising in car and lease cost. Normal inflation, raw material increases, poor exchange rates, removal of discounts by European manufacturers, lack of stock, poor used car values and emission rule changes resulting in upgrades to engine and exhaust systems have all contributed to the increases.

So whilst you can offset some of the increases by changing to another vehicle altogether with some extra discount attached the EU is set to impose some new regulations that come into force in 2020 that will increase ALL cars. As we are set to retain these rules with or without a deal we won’t be able to avoid the increased costs.

New rules regarding safety features are set to be imposed on all new models launched from 2020 and all new vehicles sold 2 years later. This means that new cars that haven’t been fitted with the new safety features can be sold up to 2022, after which they must all be fitted with them.

A total of 11 standard safety features will be introduced at a total cost to the manufacturer of over £1,000, in some executive models substantially more. For most mid or top end cars this isn’t a great deal of money compared to the cost of the car but for entry models it will have a substantial effect.

The main changes proposed are as follows:

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB): This is now fitted as standard to many mid and upper range cars whilst others include it as part of a safety package. The system senses an obstacle in front and applies the brakes for you. Considered to be a life saver this will have general support. AEB is now part of the NCAP safety test where fitted but whilst it is available on 51% of all cars sold in the UK, according to the SMMT only 30% of cars have it fitted as standard. Cost of fitting: £200 – £1,300.

Alcohol Interlock: Also known as built-in breathalysers these sensors will pick up if the driver is intoxicated and does not allow the car to start. Cost of fitting: £500 – £1,200.

Lane-Keep Assist: Fitted to many cars as standard this warns the driver if he’s drifting out of lane. Cost of fitting: £300 – £700

Accident Data Recorder: Best described as the accident black box in an aircraft. It will provide information to insurance providers in the event of an accident as well as vital information to those looking at ways to prevent accidents going forward. Cost of fitting: £300 – £500

Intelligent Speed Assist: This uses GPS mapping and speed sign recognition to warn drivers when they exceed the speed limit. Cost of fitting: £160 – £220

Parking Sensors: Most people are aware of them and their use. It looks as though rear sensors will be mandatory, not front. Cost of fitting: £100 – £250.

Driver Drowsiness and Distraction Monitors: As the name suggests the system picks up erratic driving behaviour as well as drifting out of lane. Cost of fitting: £150 – £400

These are the main additions aimed at reducing deaths and serious injuries across Europe. The aim is to eliminate road deaths by 2050 although it looks as though we aren’t on target as road deaths in the UK alone has flattened out. In 2017 there were 1,720 compared to 1,792 in 2016 which was the highest since 2011. So there you have it, the reason why rates are set to increase from 2020.

However, in the long term these changes will help to bring down the cost of autonomous cars as these will be essential developments when autonomous cars are designed made cheaper if the technology is already available. By Graham Hill

Having been in this industry for over 35 years I’ve managed to get a reputation for being hugely critical of leasing companies. I fight with them regularly in an effort to get customers treated fairly, you only have to google Graham Hill PCP and see how outspoken I am about the way that PCP agreements are sold. But today I heard from one of my customers with proof that not all leasing companies are simply heartless businesses.

I had a call from one of my long-serving customers a few weeks ago explaining that his wife was terminally ill. Very sad news indeed and quite sudden. We got onto the practical subject of his wife’s car that was leased through me and what would happen? The agreement was with VW Finance and was just over halfway through.

The legal position was quite simple, if you early terminate a car you must pay an early settlement fee which is usually about 50% of outstanding rentals. In this case it was £4,300. Whilst expectations were not high it was decided to contact the funder to see if they would take a sympathetic view.

After asking for some proof of his wife’s condition the leasing company contacted my client and said that given the very sad circumstances they were prepared to waive the termination cost in total and when the car was collected the collection agent, with no knowledge of my client’s condition, kept the refurbishment charge to an absolute minimum.

Whilst the circumstances were incredibly sad the actions of the leasing company, VW Finance, proved that they aren’t just money-grabbing businesses but a business with a heart. Well done VW Finance, you are my leasing company of the year. Commiserations and best wishes to my clients, both the husband and his wife, our prayers are with you. By Graham Hill

Every year for the last 20 years Auto Express carry out tests on various car care products and award the best with their Product Award. They take account of price, ease of use, performance etc. I thought it would be handy to list their top award winners so far this year. For more details, you can search for Auto Express Best Products. In the meantime here are the best products:

Car Washes: Halfords Car Wash & Wax, cost £2 for 1 litre. Whilst this was the cheapest tested it wasn’t this that caused it to win. You use a little more than other brands but it is much cheaper.

Clay Bars: Bilt-Hamber Auto Clay Regular, cost £9.95 for 200g Clay bars cut through contaminants that bond to the painted surface of a car. This was one of the best priced and the best performer.

Polishes: Angelwax Perfect Polish, cost £9.95 for 500ml. This one saw off some of the more popular brands such as Simoniz, Autoglym an Autobrite. There was little to choose between Autobrite and Angelwax so in the end it was down to price with Angelwax edging it.

Waterless Cleaners: Meguiar’s Waterless Wash And Wax Anywhere, cost £16 for 768ml. Strangely liked for its smell as well as its performance simply spray, wipe then buff and admire the shine. The shine was also the longest lasting.

Waxes and Sealants: Bilt-Hamber Double Speed-Wax, £14.95 for 250ml. Apparently, you can pay up to £50 for a carnauba paste(which is what this is) so great value for money. 24 were tested over 9 weeks with this one coming out on top.

Wheel Cleaners: Bilt-Hamber Auto-Wheel, cost £12.99 for 1litre. In this case the smell was horrendous – eggy in nature. However, the cost and the efficiency of the product made it to the top of the list of 19 tested.

Wheel Wax & Sealants: Wonder Wheels Wheel Sealant, cost £6.50 for 300ml. Best performance and best price this product takes time because you need to properly clean the alloys before applying and it takes time for the product to cure – but well worth the wait apparently.

Tyre Shine: CarPlan TyreSlik, £4.10 for 500ml. This is uniquely the only product tested by Auto Express that has remained in the number 1 position since testing began 20 years ago. Well done!

Upholstery Cleaner: Simoniz Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner, cost £3.18 for 500ml. This was one of the only foam cleaners with a brush fitted to the can. Most others were trigger applicators but none performed as well as this cleaner and low cost.

Screenwashes: Prestone Extreme Performance Screen Wash, cost £3.50 for 2litres. This wash, ready made up was great value for money, cleaned the screen well and won in both categories, winter and summer with the summer version cheaper than the competition.

Headlamp Bulbs: Philips Racing Vision, cost £25.99 for a pair. By far the best bulbs out of 20 tested, brightest and topped all but one of the various tests.

Sat Navs: Tom Tom Go, cost One Year’s Subscription £14.99. In this category they tested both sat-nav units and mobile phone apps with this app being the winner. They’ve stuffed many of the features of their top navs into the app.

Dash Cams: Nextbase 612 GW, cost £249.99. The cam has a radius of 150 degrees and records in 4K Ultra HD. The camera picked up pedestrians in the dark and could read number plates from afar. A polarised filter sits on top of the lens making the colours sharper. Given the quality it offers very good value for money.

Tyres: Continental Premium Contact 6, cost £93.20. Wet or dry this car came out on top, sharing the top spot with Michelin in the dry but by far the best in the wet with no other car coming close. All round a very good tyre.

Winter Tyres: Continental Winter Contact TS860, cost £117.22. Not the best in the snow but in the wet that dominates British winters it was streets above the competition. Changing tyres between summer and winter is still not popular but for those that need to change tyres they refer to this tyre as a Truly Remarkable Tyre.

All Season Tyres: Continental All Season Contact, cost £120.64. Out of all the tyres tested this tyre came either first or second in every test making it by far the best all season tyre even after Continental had said that you either changed tyres between summer and winter or put up with a compromise. This is their first attempt at an all season tyre.

Many thanks to Auto Express – By Graham Hill

A point I make every time I read a doom and gloom story about a driver who bought a used car then find out that they have a fault that leads to an unaffordable repair. Choose a new car and finance for 3 years (unless the manufacturer’s warranty lasts for longer) and you are pretty much assured that you will be covered for any faults unless you haven’t looked after the car.

In a What Car report I read about Alistair Hill (no relation) who bought a used Vauxhall Astra GTC VXR 276bhp. from a dealer. The car was no longer covered by a warranty when the engine started to misfire. As the car had only covered 29,000 miles he believed the fault would be minor buit when the dealer checked the engine they found that it had a split piston.

This meant a new engine was required. He complained to Vauxhall who offered to contribute 30% towards the replacement engine which still left Alistair with a bill of £5,000 that he couldn’t afford. What Car got involvd and as usual provided little advice but in this case there wasn’t much in Alistair’s favour.

He had assumed that the car had been serviced when he bought it but it wasn’t and in fact the car was due its regular service but believing a service had been carried out he missed a service. You wouldn’t have this confusion if the car was new when you got it.

He is now without a car that needs an engine that he can’t afford. Vauxhall refused to increase the amount they would contribute as the car hadn’t been serviced properly and he had no warranty on the car. He may have a case under European law but whichever way you cut it he is stuck with a lot of agro in his life because he bought a used car. Point proven yet again! By Graham Hill