The AnswerBank Articles

UK Motorways Apparently Most Congested In EU

Recent research by the Road Users Alliance (RUA) has found that motorways in the UK are the most jammed in Europe. UK roads carry over 93 per cent of all passenger travel, but take up less than one per cent of the UK's land mass, claims the RUA. The road network, particularly the motorway system, is in desperate need ...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

More And Smarter Cameras On The Roads

Roads in the UK could soon be dotted with hundreds of roadside spy cameras cracking down on stolen vehicles and those without motor insurance. Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras would be positioned at strategic locations such as interchanges, petrol stations and town centres as well as motorways, sugges...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Nearly Half New Cars Breakdown Within A Year Of Warranty Expiring

It seems new cars are not as reliable as car makers would have us believe. Recent research now shows nearly half of all new cars will have a major fault within four years of rolling off the production line. Not quite what the happy car buyer expects or wants to hear. Within one year of their manufacturer’s warr...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Online Only Motor Insurance Is Good For Consumers

A report has claimed that companies supplying internet only motor insurance quotes have already forced premium prices down by as much as five per cent. A leading Accountancy firm says that the new wave of motor insurance providers could provide as much of an upset to the motor insurance industry as the launch of Direc...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Drivers Warned To Keep Plates Clear

Drivers are being warned to keep their licence plates and lights clean during the winter months. While there has always been a legal and motor insurance requirement to keep them clear, inadvertently obscured registrations could now trigger police automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and identify them as c...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Police Prepared To Seize And Destroy Unlicensed Mini Bikes

Mini motorbikes found on highways or on public land without the correct licence, taxation and motorbike insurance will be seized and destroyed, police have warned. Sales of the baby motor bikes, only around two feet high but styled to look like super bikes and capable of up to 35mph have taken off recently. But polic...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

A Third Of Drivers Suffer Traffic Stress Syndrome

Almost a third of drivers regularly suffer from a newly identified disorder, motor insurance companies have warned. Traffic Stress Syndrome is a psychological anxiety that can affect certain drivers when stuck in traffic, says the motor insurance report. Symptoms can begin to occur within as little as three minutes. ...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Avoiding A Parking Fine Could Cost Your Car

Motorists could face having their vehicles clamped or seized if they run up three or more outstanding parking tickets. The Department of Transport (DoT) says that it is being forced to consider the drastic measures to make reluctant drivers cough up. It is also considering a national parking fine database, which could...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Clowns Overcharged For Motor Insurance

Motorists' choice of profession will dictate the motor insurance quotes they are offered, it has been revealed. Comedians and choirmasters can pay up to £200 a year more for their motor insurance cover than clergymen, even if they drive the same car and live in the same area, says the motor insurance research. ...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Huge Increase In Numbers Without Motor Insurance

There has been a 40 per cent increase in the number of drivers without motor insurance in London in just two years, the London Liberal Democrats have announced. Nationally, the numbers caught without motor insurance have increased by around 20 per cent. The Liberal Democrats described the increase as a "major soc...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Clampers Still Crooks After Law Changes

Most drivers want to see wheel clamping outlawed on private land says a new motor insurance survey. Ninety four per cent of drivers in England and Wales think that the rest of the UK should follow the example of Scottish authorities that have made it illegal. The result comes despite legislation passed six months ago...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Drivers Distracted By Roadside Jumble

Almost a quarter of drivers have found themselves so distracted by signs, advertising or bright lights beside the road that they have veered out of their lane. Roadside objects such as flashing signs, billboards and Christmas decorations cause a third of motorists to lose their concentration behind the wheel, says mot...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Driving Destiny May Be Written In The Stars

Your driving destiny is written in the stars, claims a new motor insurance survey. Motor insurance companies analysed 160,000 accident claims to find which astrological sign was the most accident-prone. Bad news for impatient Geminis – in the unlikely event that you still have your motor insurance no claims bonu...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Direct Debit Can Put A Third More On Your Premium

Direct debits have blossomed in popularity in recent years, especially among those who have difficulty staying on top of their finances. The convenience of the out of sight, out of mind payments are such that 35 million people in the UK now have at least one direct debit set up. They are popular with companies as wel...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Motor Insurance Firms Warn Of Speed Camera Disdain

Motor insurance companies have warned that the continued expansion of speed cameras on our roads is breeding complacency among drivers. Motorists have grown to expect having a few points on their licence, say motor insurance firms. This has devalued the system of using cameras in sensitive places, such as near spots ...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Five Million UK Drivers Can't Change A Tyre

Over five million motorists in the UK say that they would be left stranded if they caught a flat tyre, says motor insurance research, because they never learned to change a wheel. Around four million have put the wrong fuel in their cars, and almost a fifth does not know how to check coolant levels. As well as being ...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Key Carelessness Driving Crime

Drivers not caring where they leave their keys is contributing to a car being stolen every sixty seconds in the UK, says a motor insurance survey. In the cold weather, 20 per cent of drivers say that they leave the keys in the ignition while they wait for the car to defrost in the morning. A further ten per cent told...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

One In Ten Passengers Failing To Belt Up

Despite long running awareness campaigns by safety organisations and motor insurance companies, one in 16 drivers and one in ten front seat passengers are still failing to belt up, says motor insurance research. And despite the law requiring back seat passengers to wear seatbelts being almost 15 years old, a fifth of ...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

ABD Urges Government On Only A Fool Campaign

The Association of British Drivers (ABD) is launching a campaign to reduce accidents and fatalities caused by 'rear ending'. The ABD and motor insurance firms are lobbying the government to bring back its Only a Fool Breaks The Two Second Rule Campaign, encouraging motorists to use a fixed point at the side of the roa...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

New Drivers Getting Older

Fewer and fewer young drivers are getting their licences at 17, new motor insurance research has revealed. The average age for drivers to gain their licence has now increased to 21, with teenagers daunted by the motor theory test and busy with education, the motor insurance research suggests. Also the increasing costs...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010