The RAC is advising UK drivers to make sure they check their tyres regularly to avoid problems.
Having asked drivers about tyres it seems that a number of them are unaware of legal requirements regarding tread and also the general condition of the tyre. The RAC survey found 45 percent of drivers did not know that the minimum tread depth of a tyre is 1.6 mm. For female drivers this went up to 60 percent being unaware of the figure.
Tyres can be forgotten about quite easily but they are very important for road safety, general performance and also fuel economy. The RAC would like drivers to check their tyre condition and pressures at least weekly to avoid having a problem on the road.
The quarterly AA Insurance review of car insurance premiums has found that costs are on the rise again, with the average fully comprehensive policy now costing GBP700.
There has been an increase of over GBP20 compared with the previous quarter said AA Insurance and it is young driver car insurance that has seen the biggest increase, up by more than twice the overall average – GBP45. Along with all the other price rises consumers are seeing this latest one just reiterates how the cost of living is spiralling ever higher.
The best advice upon seeing these results is to shop around said AA Insurance. Look at different car insurance providers, having an increased voluntary excess or removing some of the features that are not needed. Following some of these steps may help keep that motor insurance bill down and save money.
The largest insurer in the UK, Norwich Union, has suspended what had been described as a ground breaking form of car insurance that used a black box to track every journey.
The idea was to set premiums based on the risks faced by drivers. This would mean that drivers avoiding rush hour or late night driving would pay less for their car insurance. Norwich Union cited a slow take up of the idea and too few customers as the key factors for withdrawing the car insurance scheme.
There has also been a certain amount of mistrust from drivers regarding the black box. Having every journey monitored is not what Britain is about and there could be situations where a drivers Norwich Union car insurance policy could be negated if a vehicle was seen to be speeding at any time, or even have the data passed to the police. All in all most people feel the withdrawal of the black box idea is a good result and hope that it will not see the light of day again.
