Motoring Advice Articles
Coast on the motorway
Posted on May 2nd, 2013, by James Luckhurst, in Motoring Advice Articles, Motoring News
Thank goodness for motorways. They’re the backbone of most countries’ road infrastructure. At their best they offer the opportunity to cover long distances briskly and economically. But when things don’t go so well you can be stuck for hours and hours… Positive news to start with… if you follow the advice in this chapter we can reduce your risk levels to almost zero. But before you venture onto the motorway, you … read more
Steer clear of skid row
Posted on April 25th, 2013, by James Luckhurst, in Motoring Advice Articles, Road Safety Articles
What do drivers fear the most? Being tailgated? Being the victim of a road rage attack? Driving at night? Driving on an unfamiliar motorway? They’re all perfectly valid worries for some of us. But something we all share is the fear of losing control of the car we’re driving and not being able to do anything about it. Central to that loss of control is… the skid. Skidding occurs in … read more
Steer clear of peer pressure
Posted on April 24th, 2013, by James Luckhurst, in Motoring Advice Articles
Isn’t it fascinating to spend time watching other people. One of my favourite driving gurus is Canadian trainer Scott Marshall, who admits to great enjoyment in seeing how people in general cooperate and interact with others around them. “To some people, they seem to be influenced a lot by other people,” he says. “I think most of us were influenced by others over the course of our lives. Peer pressure … read more
Time for a spring clean… well, almost
Posted on April 8th, 2013, by James Luckhurst, in Motoring Advice Articles, Road Safety Articles
Remember all the instructions barked at you by grown-ups when you were young? Wash your face. Wash your hands before dinner. Did you wash behind your ears? These are all things we’ve heard growing up from our parents. Now as we get older and supposedly more responsible, we’re supposed to keep washing, aren’t we? Well, not so much as it appears. The past month or more has been cold, frosty … read more
March MoT test changes
Posted on April 2nd, 2013, by Rob Marshall, in Motoring Advice Articles, Motoring News
Further items will be included within the MoT Test, from the 20th March. Most of these items cover systems fitted to newer cars but it has taken over a year for the EU directives to be transposed into UK law. Still, one has to keep bureaucrats in employment somehow… Fortunately, the changes are not unreasonable and will not result in a great deal of extra work for the MoT … read more
Beware the roadside scammers
Posted on March 8th, 2013, by James Luckhurst, in Motoring Advice Articles
Police are warning drivers about a series of scams on roadsides around the south of England. Between October 1, 2012, and February 16, 2013, Hampshire Constabulary received 65 reports of such incidents on highways across the county. The scammers generally operate in lay-bys on main routes and junctions, especially the M3, M27 and A303. They attempt to flag down motorists, often claiming they are out of fuel. They state they have no cash or … read more
Inside the Belgian ‘Tumbling Car’
Posted on March 5th, 2013, by James Luckhurst, in Motoring Advice Articles, Road Safety Articles
A properly fitted seatbelt can truly be a lifesaver in the event of an accident. Watch Good Motoring editor James Luckhurst being subjected to a lot of unpleasant ‘tumbling’ in a demonstration car operated by the Belgian Road Safety Authority. When there is a car crash, the car, its contents and the passengers decelerate rapidly. They experience great forces because of the change in momentum, which can cause injury. Seat … read more
Screen wash bottle blames for engine failures
Posted on February 28th, 2013, by Rob Marshall, in Motoring Advice Articles
A motor-trade chum specialises in rebuilding engines and plies me with his insight, whenever we meet. We had not seen much of each other so far this year, until a chance catch-up in our local public house prompted us to discuss our nation’s economic depression, as you do. Surprisingly, he revealed that 2012 had been one of his busiest years but, instead of earning a crust repairing older vehicles, which … read more
Parking: pick your spot wisely
Posted on February 25th, 2013, by James Luckhurst, in Motoring Advice Articles, Road Safety Articles
THE IMAGE you see was taken yesterday in my home village. The gold car had been left by its owner in that position, simply because there would then be a nice short walk to the pharmacy (pictured in the background). Before I go any further, I should state that the driver of this gold car was not in need of any assistance (there is a space directly outside reserved for … read more
Banish foggy windows…
Posted on February 20th, 2013, by Rob Marshall, in Motoring Advice Articles
Having spent a lot of this year driving around the UK, I have become used to spotting fellow road users that think it is safe to drive their cars without taking a few minutes to clear either their windows, or their lights from the aftermath of a heavy overnight snowfall. By the time the white-stuff had melted away, my ‘sport’ had changed to spotting cars with their side windows almost … read more