July 2012
My Fiesta is fitted with low profile 195/45/R16 tyres and the front alloy wheels are distorted and loose air. I have purchased new alloys and want to fit normal same size tyres. Can I fit new normal tyres to the front and leave the low profiles on the back until they wear out?
Thanks Read more
Hi.
Just about to have the van serviced. It has done 93K. I bought it last year at 72K. There was little service history as it had been serviced by a family friend (think this was probably true) and the belt would have been changed at the correct time (ie 60k i assumed). A garage has just told me the service interval for this model has been changed to 40k so if it had been done on time, it is coming up to it. Is that true? What is a reasonable price or this work? I think it's a 85BHP.... Read more
As the garage then you will know for sure.
The tables in the Which? report didn't consider residual values at all. Apart from the fuel savings, my '09 XF 3.0d cost £1k more than the petrol 3.0, and is now worth £4k more at trade-in. And it's a better drive! A typical Which? headline grabber with little substance. The real question is why diesel in the UK costs 15-20p more a litre than our European neighbours are paying, whereas petrol costs are about the same. Read more
cheap as in. fell off the back of a lorry :-)
Road deaths on the rise – why speed isn’t to blame
Sean Carson examines the case of rising deaths on the UK’s roads and says why speed isn’t the determining factor
By the_roadtester 11 hours ago
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In 2011, 1,901 people tragically lost their lives in road traffic accidents – the first annual increase in fatalities on the UK’s roads since 2003 and a 3% increase over 2010.
A further 23,122 people were seriously injured, marking a 2% rise over 2010 figures and staggeringly, the first time the toll has risen since 1994. So what’s to blame for the upsurge in serious and fatal smashes?
Increase in road deaths ‘should be wake-up call'
Well, it’s not speed. That’s not to say speeding doesn’t directly correlate with accidents, but the point is it’s not the three-headed sole driver of deaths it’s often purveyed to be.
27% of blokes aged between 17 and 19 are involved in a road collision
Rather, it’s education that makes the difference. Sorry to bombard you with stats, but they illustrate the point quite nicely: in 2010 there were 283 fatalities among car occupants aged between 16 and 25. Concurrently, 27% of blokes aged between 17 and 19 are involved in a road collision within the first 12 months of passing their test.
Transport Committee data proves that this age group is the most vulnerable, and its education – or lack there of – that’s to blame. Drivers aren’t taught to drive these days, they’re taught to pass their driving test. It was the same for me.
Young motorists aren’t drilled as to the importance of knowing how to drive to the conditions – speed might be indirectly related here, but it’s arguably not gratuitous use of it. Instead, it’s the lack of knowledge and ability to assess the car, the surroundings and the conditions that is contributing towards the needless tally in the fatalities column.
Concentration levels can wane all too easily
On the subject of knowing your car, modern vehicles don’t help. Cars are so easy to drive nowadays that concentration levels can wane all too easily.
Sure, today’s Euro-boxes are safer than those of even 10 years ago, but if you’re not on your game at the wheel you’ve got less time to react – once you’re off the road the relative (marginal) safety improvements don’t matter.
Team that with the fact that there are more cars on the roads than ever today and you’ve got an environment conducive to collisions, simply due to the volume of traffic. Add in a lax attitude at the wheel and it’s not hard to see why death tolls continue to rise.
Are people aware that stopping distances double in the wet?
It’s not a cop out to explain the data either, but bad weather can play its part. This year’s summer has gone down the drain with the rest of the torrential rain we’ve been experiencing, but it can seriously affect safety on the roads.
Are people aware that stopping distances double in the wet? It returns to the education of drivers again – and we’re not just lobbying this at the young. Modern rubber is good and so are today’s safety systems, but they’re not wholly preventative crash measures.
You have to employ some common sense and knowledge behind the wheel. Often older drivers forget that too, having held a licence for years without incident.
Speed is a problem, but it’s not the be all and end all. If you educate better, speed will naturally come down. The Government needs to show more leadership to stop needless road deaths. Read more
Texting while on the move is daft but I have no problem with those who send an email on the blackberry while sitting at traffic lights. They're sat still after all.
The mobile phone law here is a bit weird because its an offence to just hold it in your hand, but there's no law to say you can't drive along holding a frying pan or a DVD player. In America it can be even more bizarre, there's zones (usually around schools) which have signs saying things like 'no cell phone use monday to friday between 9-10am and 4-5pm' and by the time you've read that you've crashed!
Road deaths on the rise – why speed isn’t to blame
Sean Carson examines the case of rising deaths on the UK’s roads and says why speed isn’t the determining factor
By the_roadtester 11 hours ago
*
Share
49
*
*
*
* 203
*
*
*
In 2011, 1,901 people tragically lost their lives in road traffic accidents – the first annual increase in fatalities on the UK’s roads since 2003 and a 3% increase over 2010.
A further 23,122 people were seriously injured, marking a 2% rise over 2010 figures and staggeringly, the first time the toll has risen since 1994. So what’s to blame for the upsurge in serious and fatal smashes?
Increase in road deaths ‘should be wake-up call'
Well, it’s not speed. That’s not to say speeding doesn’t directly correlate with accidents, but the point is it’s not the three-headed sole driver of deaths it’s often purveyed to be.
27% of blokes aged between 17 and 19 are involved in a road collision
Rather, it’s education that makes the difference. Sorry to bombard you with stats, but they illustrate the point quite nicely: in 2010 there were 283 fatalities among car occupants aged between 16 and 25. Concurrently, 27% of blokes aged between 17 and 19 are involved in a road collision within the first 12 months of passing their test.
Transport Committee data proves that this age group is the most vulnerable, and its education – or lack there of – that’s to blame. Drivers aren’t taught to drive these days, they’re taught to pass their driving test. It was the same for me.
Young motorists aren’t drilled as to the importance of knowing how to drive to the conditions – speed might be indirectly related here, but it’s arguably not gratuitous use of it. Instead, it’s the lack of knowledge and ability to assess the car, the surroundings and the conditions that is contributing towards the needless tally in the fatalities column.
Concentration levels can wane all too easily
On the subject of knowing your car, modern vehicles don’t help. Cars are so easy to drive nowadays that concentration levels can wane all too easily.
Sure, today’s Euro-boxes are safer than those of even 10 years ago, but if you’re not on your game at the wheel you’ve got less time to react – once you’re off the road the relative (marginal) safety improvements don’t matter.
Team that with the fact that there are more cars on the roads than ever today and you’ve got an environment conducive to collisions, simply due to the volume of traffic. Add in a lax attitude at the wheel and it’s not hard to see why death tolls continue to rise.
Are people aware that stopping distances double in the wet?
It’s not a cop out to explain the data either, but bad weather can play its part. This year’s summer has gone down the drain with the rest of the torrential rain we’ve been experiencing, but it can seriously affect safety on the roads.
Are people aware that stopping distances double in the wet? It returns to the education of drivers again – and we’re not just lobbying this at the young. Modern rubber is good and so are today’s safety systems, but they’re not wholly preventative crash measures.
You have to employ some common sense and knowledge behind the wheel. Often older drivers forget that too, having held a licence for years without incident.
Speed is a problem, but it’s not the be all and end all. If you educate better, speed will naturally come down. The Government needs to show more leadership to stop needless road deaths. Read more
Duplicate thread - please comment on the other one.
Hi all,
I have a problem with starting on the above C3. The ECU get errors and then it very hard to start. The garage clears the faults via the ODB2 port and the car starts perfect again. I stays right for between a couple of week and 3 months then stops starting well. Im being charges £10 every time this happens so I wan to save some money and buy one the the gadgets on ebay and reset this myself. now when you look on the internet is says ODB2 started in 2004 models (diesel) on the C3 but im assuming as the garage use this port mine mustr be ODB2 ? the second think is do I need protocal U480 ? U380? or something different ?
I have wasted £600 on this having it checked glow plugs changed, diognostics and generl prating about to cure the problem and it remains. so I really just want to be able to reset this myself as and when needed.
Thanks Alan Read more
Hi,
Given my Mazda's age is now coming to 10 years (although has a very low mileage for the age) I thought it's about time to stop using main dealers (especially as my local one has recently shut) and look for a good idependent.... Read more
My elderly Bridgestone tyres are poor (2-3)mm at the front but have 4mm tread at the rear. I am considering Yokohama, or similar brand replacements. I drive about 5,000 miles per year, mainly on A roads and am a gentle driver. I am prepared to trade mileage for cost but demand a good level of safety. Would my "Trading down" cause any significant problems. You advice will be gratefully received. Read more
I agree to some extent, but there is quite a lot of information out there, from Which? reports to tyre testing websites which rate each tyre for wet grip, dry grip, noise, comfort and mileage. Enough to make an informed choice I would say.
These four bits of circular rubber are the only thing keeping your car on the tarmac.
Hi
My daughter is about to buy her first car, and quite likes the Pug 206 (as her mum has one). personally, I don't, but I'll not be driving it.... Read more
There are some good French cars around, but they are more vulnerable to abuse and neglect than similar Japanese cars: so buying a 10-year-old French car is even more of a gamble.
For £1,000 condition is more important than make or model: try to find something that has a service history and at least appears to have been lookd after properly. If in doubt look at petrol-powered Toyotas, Nissans, Hondas or Mazdas.
2001 DB7: AC suffers sudden shut down in hot weather after 1-2 hr of high speed cruising. Adjusting all controls does not cause any response in system. 10-15 shut down causes system to begin functioning on start up. System is always set at "Man" or "Recirc" with fan speed 1-3. When down minimal cold air comes through dash vents, probably passive floww from cruising at highway speeds.
Dealer cannot duplicate fault. Any ideas? Read more
you system is freezing up, once shut down then the ice built up in the evaporator melts and a/c starts functioning, this is due to evaporator sensor in the side of the heater box.
...
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Thank you everyone for your assistance. The new wheels are Ford standard alloys not new but nearly and same size as the originals. All seems ok to just fit the 2 new tyres and 2 old tyres on the new wheels.
Mike