Low Cost Vans

Back in January, I discussed the possibility of a new practical driving test in the future. It wasn't a huge game changer, but merely looked at components of the existing test to see how it could be bettered. It now seems that we may see a whole new test but not for those who drive manual vehicles. The automated and fully autonomous vehicles are now being put under the proverbial microscope before they have even left the production line. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has reported that EU rules on safety approvals for new cars have to include tests for automated and fully autonomous vehicles before they should be allowed to go on sale to the public. Obviously the aim of this is to verify the safety of vehicles that aren't driven by humans but also so that the cars are able to follow the different road rules across Europe. Although we are beginning to race ahead with automotive technology, people are still apprehensive about how these ‘driverless’ vehicles will beh

When out perusing the aisles of a car showroom there are often certain questions that fall from our mouths whilst we attempt to find a new vehicle. Does it have in-built sat-nav? Does it come with connected Bluetooth? Does it have parking sensors and cruise control? Although some of these questions are perfectly normal, others (such as ones that involve connecting our phones) hide a deeper notion that we are becoming more attracted to connected technology in our vehicles rather than its ability to get us from point A to point B. This leads to a lapse in memory among drivers, as we start to forget about the lingering dangers of technology. Last week, I looked at the problem with hands-free devices and whether or not they really were safe, and this week I will be looking at another guilty party - the trusty sat-nav. Studies have shown that using connected technology factored into over 300,000 accidents, and road safety charity Brake, found that 15% of drivers using a sat-nav have made il

We all know that driving needs a lot of concentration, but many of us are guilty of slipping into auto pilot. Driving is something that requires all of our attention and there are so many things we need to watch out for: a vehicle pulling out without indicating, a change in speed limit, traffic queues, delayed braking by the vehicle in front and accidents on the road. So why do something that would distract us from this? Thousands of drivers across the UK are guilty of calling someone from the car, whether it be hands-free or not (which is illegal). Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of the very real danger of hands-free devices. We Brits are not the only guilty ones. In America there has been an increase in the number of deaths because of driver distractions such as mobile phones, both hands-free and hand-held and nearly 30% of all crashes involve a mobile phone. Why is using a hand-held mobile phone illegal, but hands-free is not? The main issue is not being in control of your vehi

Chances are you might know someone who has ‘accidentally on purpose’ smashed their phone to get the latest upgrade purely because it comes in rose gold, or has a better camera lens than its predecessor. Some car owners have initiated the same practice in order to get a quick buck. It may sound like a good idea on paper but the reality is far from that, with devastating consequences beginning to ripple out across the whole motor industry. Crash for Cash scams are not just effecting innocent drivers across the UK as I explained in my blog a few weeks ago. Smaller van hire companies across the country are potentially at risk of having to fold because of the overall cost of these bogus accidents. Several business owners in the North West of England, a region that currently sits in the top ten worst places for the scam, are paying tens of thousands of pounds to settle this fraudulent claims, and some of the smaller lease hire companies are going bust because they just cannot afford the ofte