Category Archives: Driving

The Truth is Out There… Debunking Popular Car Insurance Myths

Like death and taxes, car insurance seems somewhat inevitable. You want to drive on UK roads? You must be covered by some kind of acceptable policy. But perhaps because you must have insurance, there is a lot of chit chat that goes around pubs, dinner tables and other social meeting places, which discusses the potential intricacies of costs, policies and covers.

If you’re one of those people who’ve whipped out your phone or powered up your computer to check on some rumours you’ve heard – then you’ve arrived in the right place. Let’s go through some of the most popular assertions and fact check them to see if they’re the real deal, or just some old fake news.

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Help… I’ve Been Hit by an Uninsured Driver

You’ve been hit, and you know it wasn’t your fault. Once you’ve shaken yourself down and regained your composure, you speak to the driver of the other vehicle. Then you discover they don’t have any insurance or you get the details, only to find it’s a made up policy, or an older one that’s already expired.

Or worse still, the offending vehicle simply pulls off and drives away. The dreaded hit and run incident. Not only bad from a legal standpoint, but a truly callous act if someone has been hurt and injured. Fortunately there have been laws and organisations in place to protect you from uninsured drivers – but what are the practical steps you need to take should such a situation arise?

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Don’t Leave Home without it – Breakdown Survival Kit Checklist

Your breakdown survival kit. We’ve touched on this in previous blogs, however it’s such an important thing to have in the back of your vehicle, we decided to go into more detail. Many people like to check their car regularly for underlying faults and issues, and take their vehicle for periodic services. However, unfortunately no matter of forethought can stop a breakdown from happening regardless of the season.

No one wants to be in a breakdown, but sometimes it inevitably happens to the best of us. In such an event an in-car survival kit will be a godsend. So what should you put in your kit?

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Look after the motor – storing your car over the winter months

The winter is hard on all of us. Reduced energy. Less happiness. And of course you may find you’re using your car less frequently than in the warm months. If you’re considering putting it into storage, then you’ll need to do it properly to avoid issues with fuel, batteries and even paintwork, and this is especially true in winter when snow can damage the car.

So whether your ride is a convenient car or a collectable classic, use the following tips to keep it fresh over the colder months, when it’s not being used…

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Break the Ice – Dealing with A Car Door That’s Frozen Shut

Apart from stating the obvious, there are a number of factors that increase a car door’s propensity to get frozen. Corroded locks and deteriorating window seals can let water into the door and around the frame, as snow melts in the evening, which then turns into hard ice at night, that unfortunately fits exactly into the gaps in the vehicle.

Inevitably, your car’s exposure to the winter weather can also be a predominant factor. Leave it out in the worst position, and you’re more likely to experience frozen doors than if you cover it, or leave it under a tree, where the wind chill factor isn’t going to be such a problem.

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True or False: The Reality Behind Winter Driving Myths

The winter is a great time for myths. From Jack Frost through to Father Christmas, there’s plenty there to stoke the flames of imagination. And of course, motoring as you know, is not immune from wild speculation and story. There’s all kinds of advice, information and directions out there about how you should handle the colder months from behind the wheel of your car – and many of them are simply not true.

Fortunately we’re on hand to go through some of the most popular winter driving legends helping your sort the fact from the fiction. Make sure you’re armed with the right information and don’t get caught out because you made some wintertime assumptions.

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Why Won’t My Car Start?

There is nothing worse than getting in the driver’s seat, sticking the key in the ignition, only to find your car won’t start. There are lots of reasons why this can happen, and unfortunately it’s a very common occurrence, happening to hundreds, if not thousands of motorists on a daily basis. From simple issues like forgetting to put fuel in the car, to more complex electrical faults – our quick guide should help you contend with some of the causes…

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True or False? Common Driving Myths Debunked

You’d think that most people in the UK would refer to The Highway Code when questioning the rules of the road. However, there’s still a surprising number of people who prefer to rely on hearsay and pub rumours, when operating out on the road. Usually these driving myths don’t apply to the big stuff, and are more focused on the lesser known rules. So which of these myths should be consigned to the bin of bad advice, and which are actually true?

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Speed Camera Behaviours: Mechanism or Myth

You’re sitting in your car, driving along. A flash goes off. You instantly know what it means as you quickly glance down to the speedometer. You know an automatic letter is winging its way out to you in the post. Could be a fine, points on your license. Or worse a court date.

Speed cameras are put in place to ensure drivers stick to the required speed limit. Drivers that go too fast are dangerous, as reaction times are reduced. However, there are many misconceptions about how these cameras work. So what is fact and what is firmly fantasy?

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Parking on Double Yellows – Without Breaking the Law…

Sometimes you need to park on double yellow lines. Think this is always illegal? Think again. Most of the time you’ll find a ticket slapped on your car by a parking warden, giving you an automatic fine. However, there are some instances where parking on double yellows is actually allowed. Knowing your rights, can help you find a parking space when it’s difficult – or in an emergency – or even prevent you from having to pay a fine. So what is the actual law?

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