Author: Simon Pavey

Empty car boot

Clear out your car’s clutter to boost your savings

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Owning a car can be an expensive business, what with tax, insurance, fuel, maintenance and various other costs to think about.

So it’s a good idea to grab every opportunity to cut down your vehicle-related outgoings. One way to reduce your spending that you might not have thought of before is to clear out all the unnecessary clutter from your car, which can help you get more mileage out of every tank of fuel.

Boost your fuel efficiency

Most people would admit to letting their car get cluttered and messy from time to time. If you only spend up to a couple of hours driving at any one time, it’s easy to ignore the various items that build up and eventually make a mess of your car.

But did you know that, as well as making your car look like a dumping ground, allowing clutter to accumulate has an effect on how much you spend on fuel?

Having lots of stuff in your car makes it heavier, which means the engine has to work harder to get the vehicle moving and consequently uses more fuel. As a result, the mileage you get out of every tank of petrol or diesel is reduced.

The fuel efficiency benefits you gain from clearing out your car will be particularly noticeable if you’re in the habit of keeping particularly heavy items in the boot. Clearing out things like sports gear, tools you might use for work, kids’ toys and bikes will make the car much lighter, more fuel efficient and also easier to drive.

Other ways to cut fuel spend

There are plenty of other things you can try to get more bang for your buck where fuel is concerned.

According to the RAC, one of the wisest steps you can take is to carry out regular maintenance and servicing to ensure the vehicle is always operating at maximum efficiency. Frequent inspections can verify that your tyres are always inflated to the correct pressure, which is important because fuel economy suffers when tyres are either underinflated or overinflated.

Other recommendations include:

  • Accelerating gently and not driving too fast. Excessive speed is “the biggest fuel-guzzling factor”, according to the breakdown recovery firm.
  • Driving in the highest possible gear while staying within the speed limit. In urban areas, change up through the gears quickly to keep revs to a minimum.
  • Taking unused roof bars and boxes off the vehicle to reduce wind resistance. Driving with windows open can also create drag that increases fuel consumption.
  • Driving consistently and at a steady speed, which can be aided by cruise control if you’re on a constant flat surface like a motorway.
  • Not using air conditioning unless you really have to, since it relies on engine power and uses fuel. This applies to heating as well as cooling.

If you want to have confidence that your car is in the right condition to make the most efficient use of fuel, it’s worth getting it checked and serviced by professionals.

MyService.Expert makes it easy to maintain your car with calendar reminders and money off parts and labour.

What’s the worst thing about driving in the spring?

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Spring is finally in the air – the evenings are getting lighter, the weather is starting to improve (kind of), and drivers across the country are planning trips and excursions to enjoy the better conditions.

It’s undoubtedly a lovely time of the year, but spring can also bring its fair share of problems and irritations for motorists. Here are some of the potential issues to be aware of when you hit the road between March and May:

Potholes

A perennial bugbear of road users, potholes can be a major problem in the spring. They are a hangover from the winter months, caused when water seeps into cracks in the roads, freezes and expands. This creates holes that are not only unsightly and unpleasant to drive through, but potentially hazardous to drivers and pedestrians.

Most car owners will be familiar with the experience of hitting a particularly nasty pothole. In the worst cases, they can cause damage to your tyres, suspension and other parts of your car, so it’s always wise to be on the lookout for holes and to avoid them if you can.

Sun glare

It’s nice to see more of the sun in spring, but, when you’re behind the wheel, bright sunlight can be a major problem. The dazzling effect of spring sunshine can sometimes make it difficult to keep a clear view of the road ahead, which is vital for safe and responsible driving.

This can be particularly problematic if the roads have been left wet by spring showers, causing the sunlight to reflect off the tarmac and cause even more glare. While there’s only so much you can do to protect against this issue, it’s always a good idea to have a pair of emergency sunglasses in the car.

Traffic

Warmer weather and longer days mean more people heading out on day trips and spring getaways, which unfortunately means more cars on the road and a higher risk of traffic. Again, this is a difficult problem to avoid. Still, it’s always wise to think carefully about the timing of your journeys and to consider alternative routes that might be less congested.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that there could be more pedestrians around as the weather improves, so you should be extra vigilant at road crossings and in built-up residential areas.

Rain

The spring months are known for their changeable weather, and while there’s usually plenty of sun to enjoy at this time of year, there’s also a high chance of rain.

Motorists should always be prepared to change how they drive to suit the conditions. If you’re unlucky enough to be on the road during heavy downpours this spring, keep your distance from other cars, so you have enough time to stop safely on wet roads.

It’s also important to make sure vital parts like your tyres and windscreen wipers are in good working order so you can always drive safely.

With MyService.Expert, you can get calendar alerts for services and MOTs, as well as money off parts and labour to help you keep your vehicle in the best condition, at any time of the year.

Security being monitored on multiple screens

Highways England admits smart motorway cameras not always monitored

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Highways England has admitted that the cameras used to monitor the UK’s new network of smart motorways are not always being checked.

BBC Breakfast submitted a Freedom of Information request to learn more about how technology is implemented to spot vehicles stranded on the roads, which forced the organisation to reveal that control room staff are not there around the clock.

Concerning news for drivers

The news is bound to spark further controversy surrounding smart motorways, which do not have a hard shoulder and require drivers to find their way to SOS refuge areas that are placed at intervals along the highway should they break down.

Smart motorways now account for 416 miles of road and are expected to almost double in length by 2025, but 38 people have died on them within the past five years.

Furthermore, AA research recently found it takes an average of 17 minutes to spot broken-down vehicles in moderate to heavy traffic on smart motorways, on top of another 17 minutes for emergency vehicles to arrive on the scene.

Meanwhile, motorists in stranded vehicles that cannot reach refuge areas may be forced to sit in live lines as other road users remain unaware the lane ahead of them is blocked.

Highways England insisted there are measures in place to ensure cameras are keeping people safe, including transferring incidents between control rooms during busy periods.

“As with any organisation using many hundreds of CCTV cameras, it is not possible for our operators to monitor every camera all of the time. Our control rooms are staffed 24/7, 365 days a year, and we manage peaks of activity flexibly across all our regional operations centres,” a spokesperson added.

Jenny Smith, Product Manager for Tele-Gence, commented: “This news is sure to be a damning blow for the government, as well as worrying for drivers who need to know they are secure in an emergency. We hope it prompts a further review into safety on smart motorways.”

Your business can benefit from affordable telematics with no hidden start-up fees or long-term commitments. Find out how at www.tele-gence.com

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Van drivers urged to be safe and use hands-free technology

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

Fleet drivers have been urged to put safety first after a poll showed a worryingly high number are still using mobile phones behind the wheel.

The survey, carried out by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VCV), found the average worker makes seven calls a day while driving and typically spends 37 minutes on the phone.

Less than half use hands-free

However, just 41 per cent reported using hands-free or Bluetooth technology on a frequent basis to make the calls safely.

Furthermore, 17 per cent of those polled admitted they also send texts, check their emails or post on social media while driving, providing additional and perhaps even more dangerous distractions.

Van drivers in London and Yorkshire and the Humber were most likely to use hands-free technology to make and receive calls. Those in Scotland were twice as likely as any other region to pick up their phone during a journey.

“Mobile phone use behind the wheel is a topic that we’ve been monitoring for the past couple of years… it is still a huge safety problem on UK roads. Despite carrying a hefty punishment, it lacks the taboo of other offences such as drink-driving and this needs to change,” said VCV’s Claire English.

Since March 2017, any motorist caught using their phone while driving faces an on-the-spot fine of £200 and six points on their driving licence.

However, with a poll by Driving for Better Business recently finding 49 per cent of business leaders expect their employees to answer their phones at all times, the message may not be getting through to fleet owners sufficiently.

Ellie Baker, Brand Manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “With so much technology available for those who must be available to contact at all times, there really is no excuse for these shocking new figures. No conversation is worth risking someone’s life over, so put that phone out of reach if you haven’t got hands-free.”

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Tire of a grey car turning right

Automated tread depth testing to improve road safety

Posted on | by Simon Pavey

New technology that automatically detects the level of tread around a tyre could hold the key to improving road safety in the UK.

The EasyTread system has been developed by Beissbarth and is being made available to garages and forecourts up and down the country through Everard.

Easy and quick assessment for motorists

“The harsh reality is that a lot of drivers don’t regularly check the condition of their tyres and that many wouldn’t know how to, instead relying on the annual MoT to rubber-stamp their vehicle’s safety,” commented Everard divisional manager Jamie Taylor.

However, an automated system that can be installed into a garage forecourt that motorists simply drive up to and it tells them the exact state of their tyres could help many people to avoid the dangers of driving with insufficient tread.

Indeed, figures published by the Department for Transport show how faulty treads were a contributing factor in up to one-third of all road traffic accidents in the UK between 2013 and 2019.

The EasyTread system works by using LED refraction to build a 3D image of the full circumference of a tyre’s tread. It can then show the owner the exact state of their tyres in as little as 90 seconds.

Jenny Smith, general manager for Tele-Gence, commented: “New technologies that help to boost road safety should always be welcomed and, with so many accidents caused by faulty tyres, allowing motorists to more easily assess their tread depth could be a real lifesaver.”

Your business can benefit from affordable telematics with no hidden start-up fees or long-term commitments. Find out how at www.tele-gence.com