Tag Archives: safety

How to Spot a Cut and Shut Car

Over the years we’ve mentioned the dreaded cut and shut job many times. From the selling tricks of dodgy dealers to spotting cloned cars. Although this problem was more prevalent when there was less information and checks available to keep sellers and mechanics honest about this dastardly practice, it hasn’t disappeared completely.

Accidently buying a cut and shut unknowingly is disastrous. Not only is it illegal for someone to sell you a reconditioned write-off, but it is incredibly dangerous to the driver, any passengers and other road users. If it is involved in a crash it will literally fall apart. How can you avoid this potential catastrophe by spotting a cut and shut before you buy?

Continue reading →

The Best Methods to Help You Spot a Clocked Car

In days gone by sellers would rip off car buyers by winding back the mechanical odometer using a number of techniques. This is a process that’s more commonly known as clocking. In the past it would often leave tell-tale marks like screwdriver scratches on the dash or the numbers in the meter not quite lining up.

With the event of digital and electronic odometers, you might think that this practice has all but ended, but actually clocking is on the rise, and now with the range of electronic systems that can be used to alter mileage – it’s more prevalent than ever.

What can you do to make sure that you’re not a victim of this deceitful selling practice?

Continue reading →

Gone to Pot? Confused.com Reveals Just How Far the UK’s Pothole Problem Goes

Everyone’s had to deal with it. Driving down the road and feeling that awful bump as you collide with a pot hole. Your mind immediately goes to the potential cost of fixing the suspension, or worse still, replacing a wishbone. But exactly how bad has the issue of our dodgy roads become in the UK?

Continue reading →

Our 10 Most Annoying Driving Habits

Getting irate behind the wheel of your car is never a good thing, but sometimes people act so erratically and stupid there is no other response than to get a little vexed. There are mistakes that drivers make that are accidental, and there are others that can only be interpreted as downright treachery. In this article we take a good look at some of the worst driving habits you’ll find on the UK’s roads today.

Continue reading →

Tips for Safe Driving at Night

So far this year we have told you how to replace your headlight bulbs to make sure you have full brightness on the road. Now it’s time for us to look at how to make sure you’re safe when behind the wheel and the sun has gone off on its merry way.

There may be less traffic about at night but unfortunately this darkened time is when most of the accidents happen. This is because of reduced visibility and increased difficulty in judging speed and distance when the light is poor.

Continue reading →

Our Guide to Motorway Driving

Getting out there on the motorway for the first time or even if it has been a while can be daunting. With the constant flow of traffic, it takes time to get used to the constant changing lanes and big trucks if you are only acclimatised to our single lane roads. However you can consult our guide for newbies to help you out.

Continue reading →

The 6 Deadly Sins: Bad Driving Practices

Cars are undoubtedly rather expensive. You might do all the right things in terms of servicing and regular maintenance, but if you have bad habits on the road you could be wasting all that expenditure. Laziness and carelessness are not only dangerous behaviour behind the wheel, but lack of due attention could cause your car to wear out faster and make you into a hazard for other road users.

Of course, nobody is perfect, so here is our list of the 6 deadly sins. Each one appertains to some of the main parts in your vehicle and the behaviours that cause all the problems.

Continue reading →

How to Use the Hard Shoulder

What is the hard shoulder? It’s that strip of concrete that runs parallel to the lanes on the motorway that no-one uses for driving, not even when the traffic is stacked and packed in a jam. The surface area is indicated by a solid white line and it gives drivers of all vehicles, even lorries, enough space to pull over and not disturb other traffic in the event of an emergency.

Continue reading →

Car Dashboard Warning Lights Explained

Not everyone who drives a car can be a mechanical whizz. And let’s face it, the days of lifting your car up on ramps at the weekend and having a tinker under the hood are on their way out, with many vehicles having extensive computer control systems.

Fortunately, car designers have provided a way for every motorist to know what’s happening around the car regardless of their vehicular knowledge – the dashboard lights. But what does each light mean and what action should you take when the light illuminates on your dash?

In this article, we look at each type of dashboard light ranging from those that present a dire warning if avoided through to those that are less urgent. Use this guide to get acquainted with each type of light so you can understand the implications, should it become illuminated.

Continue reading →

Car Safety Tips for Children

It is an accepted fact that cars are extremely dangerous places for both drivers and passengers. Over the years there have been a number of campaigns to get drivers and passengers to take more responsibility for their safety, including government drives to get people wearing their seat belts. However, most of the safety systems in cars are designed with adult users in mind, even though a large percentage of car owners also drive their children around. What can we do to make our vehicles safer for the younger generations?

Continue reading →