Jun 28, 2017
As part of last week’s Queen’s Speech, the government announced the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill. The bill could have significant implications for the future of electric and self-driving vehicles, as well as for the UK’s position as what the government terms a “world leader in new industries.”
The draft legislation states that Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points must be made available at all large fuel retailers and motorway services. For some consumers, issues with how the existing infrastructure is run mean that such a change can’t come soon enough. Ecotricity, the company created by entrepreneur Dale Vince, has a near monopoly on rapid-charging points at the UK’s motorway services. It has recently increased the cost of using them, causing consternation among some of its customers.
Consumers crying foul
Gone are the company’s halcyon days of offering free charging to encourage consumer uptake of EVs. Gone too is the subsequent rollout of a £6 flat fee for 20 minutes of charge. Now, pricing has been hiked again, with a new £3 connection fee plus 17p per electricity unit thereafter. It means that charging a Nissan Leaf will rise to £7.08, according to the online charging point consumer guide, ZapMap.
In fact the RAC Foundation claims that as a whole, the cost of running a Nissan Leaf is now on-par with that of running an efficient petrol-powered car. This has serious implications for the technology’s future. Steve Gooding, the RAC Foundation’s director, comments,
“For people buying new cars, price dominates: the price of the vehicle and the price you pay to keep it on the road. Relatively small changes to either could badly stunt the fledgling industry’s growth.”
Ecotricity claims that the new tariff reflects the “cost of installing and operating the equipment from the cost of the energy – to provide greater transparency and flexibility to our members,” and that “it’s always going to be more expensive to charge on the open road because the infrastructure must be built and maintained.”
#DoKeepUp, Mrs May
It is clear that Ecotricity’s Dale Vince isn’t convinced by the government’s plans for the compulsory installation of charging points at motorway services. Hashtagging with #DoKeepUp, he wrote,
“Promising to do something that’s already been done, by somebody else, several years ago – bit bizarre really. Motorway services will be required to install electric charge points, under plans outlined in the Queen’s Speech. There aren’t actually any motorway services that don’t already have charging facilities for EVs.”
While Ecotricity faces off against consumer criticism and a potential competitive threat from the state, the hope for consumers is that if the right funding and rollout strategy is put in place for the charging points, then more competition could be introduced. As successive governments have drummed into us over the years, competition should mean lower prices for the consumer. That can only be a good thing for those wanting to make the move from petrol power to electricity in the future.
Do you believe the Government’s plan for mandatory charging points at petrol stations and motorway services is the right policy? Let us know your opinions below.
Jun 23, 2017
A recent phishing scam aimed at motorists has been illegally trying to steal people’s personal details by sending emails that appear to be from the DVLA, offering a tax refund.
The email contains a message stating that the individual is due a refund of £239.35 as they have overpaid, and can apply for the money they are owed by completing an online form. They can reach this through a link included in the email. It goes on to say that the money will be in their account in four to six days.
Featuring the DVLA logo, the fonts that the agency uses, and even a sentence about reporting phishing scams, the email looks completely legitimate, which has led to some people clicking on the link and submitting their personal details. Those personal details are then used in various forms of financial and identity fraud, such as new credit card applications or fake passports.
DVLA and police targeted
The DVLA has been used to carry out a phishing scam before. People were sent emails asking them to confirm their direct debit details. Some individuals received this message via texts to their mobile phones too.
In the past, motorists in Manchester were caught up in a phishing scam too. An email that seemed to be from Greater Manchester Police stated that they had been caught speeding. The email contained a link that the individual could click on to see photos of them committing the offence. However, when they clicked on the link it installed malware onto their computer, which could then access all of their personal information.
Other phishing scams aimed at motorists
It isn’t only the DVLA and police who have been used to try to steal personal details online. There was also a scam in which people who had advertised their vehicles on AutoTrader were contacted and told that their photos were being used in another advert, causing the ‘potential buyer’ confusion. A link to the other listing, which was featured in the email, would lead the individual to a log-in page. Once they had ‘logged in,’ their personal information was at risk.
In addition to phishing scams carried out via email and text message, some people are targeted via telephone calls. This has happened in the past, with scammers pretending to be from the Motor Insurance Bureau. In these calls, motorists were asked for their bank details so that they could be paid their compensation following a car accident. The compensation, of course, never arrived.
With these phishing scams taking place, and with them becoming more believable over time, it can be difficult to know exactly who to trust when it comes to receiving communications from what seem to be legitimate companies.
How to protect yourself
To protect yourself, you should never click on external links that are included in emails. Most companies would not send these out to their customers. In addition, you should only open attachments which come from a reliable source.
Remember that motoring organisations, the DVLA or the police will NEVER contact you to ask for your bank details out of the blue, whether by email or phone call.
If you suspect that you have been sent a phishing email or received a phishing call, contact the customer services team of the company concerned and ask them whether they have sent any communications to you. Making the company aware means that they can warn their other customers too.
By being vigilant, and knowing what to look out for, you can keep yourself safe from phishing scams, and help to protect others from them too.
What do you think of these recent phishing attacks aimed at motorists? Have you received one or do you know someone who has? Let us know in the comments below.
Photo credit: ‘Keys on Keyboard‘ by Intel Free Press is licensed under ‘CC by 2.0′
Jun 22, 2017
Rumour has it that e-commerce giant Amazon is going to start selling cars, with a trial set to take place in the UK before it is rolled out to other countries.
Amazon has previously tested selling the Fiat 500 in Italy, and now it has manufacturers from Germany who are on board with the idea too, so is looking to branch out with this idea.
Details of the plan have not been made official yet; they were leaked in Automobilwoche, a German trade magazine. The article speculated that the business will be run out of Luxembourg, and that Amazon has already started to recruit salesmen for the venture.
Impact on UK car industry
Selling items from books to kitchenware, Amazon has a reputation for changing whichever market it takes on. Thus it is unsurprising that car dealerships may be a little concerned about this potential addition to their industry.
When the news was announced, shares in AutoTrader dropped by 6%, while shares in Lookers (a large car dealership chain in the UK and Ireland) dropped by 4%, reflecting the uncertainty over what the arrival of this new competitor could mean for the industry overall.
Amazon tends to focus its offering on price, so is unlikely to impact car sellers that focus on premium service and high quality cars. However, it will force those focused on price and value to rethink how to compete against this master of digital marketing and customer conversion.
The online only car selling conundrum
There are plenty of aspects of buying a car that people will not be able to access if they buy one online via Amazon. This may eradicate some of the concern that more traditional car dealers are feeling.
For example, although more people would be willing to buy a car online now than they would have been in 2015, many still like the idea of being able to test drive a car before purchasing, having the option to part exchange, and the ability to select finance options, which Amazon may not be able to provide directly.
Most car buyers like to research possibilities online before going out to view cars, but would feel more comfortable purchasing one via face-to-face interaction because it is a big-ticket purchase. Amazon may follow the example of Tesla and rent out shop space in large shopping centres to generate that interaction and show the cars on sale in a physical environment or allow test drives.
In addition to this, car manufacturers can only distribute cars through dealers, and if Amazon tries to bypass the dealers, it could put their new venture at risk of failure. This is exactly what happened when Virgin and Tesco tried to do the same thing in the past.
Will the Amazon entry be good for consumers?
It is likely that Amazon will be able to undercut prices offered by dealers due to the way that it runs its business, (i.e. low overheads). This could mean that consumers have to spend less on a new car, which could appeal to many users.
Another benefit of Amazon selling cars is that dealerships will be forced to provide a more personalised service to their customers, to show what they can offer that Amazon can’t. This is sure to make potential car buyers happy when they visit the showrooms.
Conversely, some car dealerships may decide to start charging for things that they were previously giving away for free, in order to compete on price for the actual car sold (in much the same way as budget airlines now do).
There are both pros and cons to buying a car through Amazon, if indeed this is a service that it decides to provide. Having this new option available is sure to be something that many motorists will welcome and the car industry dreads.
What do you think about Amazon entering the UK car market? Do you think it will deliver better value or will it drive the industry to deliver less value and raise prices? Let us know in the comments below.
Photo credit: “Box” by Mike Seyfang is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Jun 21, 2017
Supermarket giant ASDA cut the price of its fuel by 2 pence a litre last Thursday following the drop in wholesale prices, leaving other supermarkets to scramble to keep their prices competitive. The reduction will bring its price to a national cap of 111.7 pence per litre for unleaded. The cap will apply to all 305 of ASDA’s filling stations, including 10 in Northern Ireland.
ASDA leads the changes
The price of wholesale dropped to $48 a barrel last week, prompting the move by the supermarket chain. It is currently the only retailer that has a national price cap in place, which ensures no driver will pay more than the cap figure of 111.7 pence per litre at any filling station anywhere in the UK.
Dave Tyrer, Head of Petrol Trading at ASDA, said the move showed that ASDA was once again leading the market in terms of the price of fuel at the pumps and aimed to help millions of motorists around the country. The price cap applies to both unleaded and diesel and comes ahead of the busy summer period.
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams confirmed the move was excellent news for motorists. He added that it was particularly good to see a major supermarket reducing the cost of diesel so that it was in line with the cost of petrol. Currently, the wholesale price of both fuels is very similar.
Current trends
Of the four main supermarkets that offer fuel, this price change means that ASDA is currently the cheapest. Its price has fallen from 113.9 pence per litre in April to the new low of 111.7 pence per litre last week. Its nearest competitor is Morrisons, whose price was 112.2 pence per litre, while both Sainsbury’s and Tesco were selling unleaded at 112.7 pence per litre.
|
June 17th |
Change (ppl) |
June 20th |
| BP |
118.5 |
1.5 |
117.4 |
| Shell |
118.1 |
1.5 |
117.2 |
| Esso |
117.3 |
1.5 |
116.3 |
| Texaco |
117.4 |
1.5 |
116.5 |
| Gulf |
117.9 |
1.5 |
117.5 |
| ASDA |
112.7 |
0.8 |
111.7 |
| Sainsbury’s |
113.8 |
1.1 |
112.7 |
| Tesco |
114.1 |
1.4 |
112.7 |
| Morrisons |
112.9 |
0.7 |
112.2 |
Source: PetrolPrices.com
The price gap between supermarkets and service stations remains considerable, especially in light of the drop in wholesale prices. Prices for unleaded at major service stations are on average 4 or 5 pence per litre more than at supermarkets.
This shows that currently, supermarkets offer great value for money for motorists and the added bonus of being able to fill up while shopping is attractive to many. Plus, you can also collect loyalty points with some of the supermarkets that can reduce your fuel and food bills even further.
Super unleaded trends
The picture remains different on the super unleaded pumps, with supermarkets ASDA and Morrisons currently not offering a version of this product. Both Sainsburys and Tesco do and their prices at this point were very similar, at 118.6 pence and 118.4 pence per litre respectively. As mentioned in last week’s article about super unleaded, there are now many places to buy it at the same price as, or cheaper than, unleaded.
Again, costs at service stations for super unleaded were higher than those at supermarkets which offer the product. Prices varied from 127.2 pence (Texaco) to 129.2 pence (BP) for motorists wanting to fill up with this fuel.
Positive trend
With the other supermarkets already saying they are following the lead set by ASDA and reducing their prices, this shows signs of a positive trend as we move into summer. Prices have been unchanged in recent weeks, despite the falling price of wholesale fuel. As we move into the busy summer period, it is good news that the supermarkets are lowering fuel prices to help motorists keep money in their pocket for other essentials. Supermarkets remain the go-to place for great prices on petrol and diesel.
What do you think about the recent price changes? Do you think we could be seeing sustained reductions in prices or is this a temporary fall before an increase? Let us know in the comments below.
Image credit: “Petrol prices” by morebyless is licensed under CC BY 2.0 / image manipulated to show pricing.
Jun 21, 2017
The UK’s first National Clean Air Day was on 15 June 2017. It came with some dire warnings about problems with pollution on our roads and the dangers to motorists and their passengers, as well as to children and cyclists.
According to research commissioned by the Global Action Plan (GAP) and the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, drivers and their passengers are exposed to more pollution than pedestrians or cyclists. The research found that people in cars breathe in nine times as much pollution as those who are walking or cycling. However, a change of route can reduce this exposure by as much as 70%.
The report also warned parents that by driving children to school, they are increasing their exposure significantly compared to if they walked to school along the same route.
Pollution findings
The separate studies from GAP and the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change both found that children are more vulnerable to the effects of pollution due to one simple factor – their height. The risk to a child is 11% higher than to the average adult due to children’s lower height, because they are nearer the source of the pollution.
The studies looked at the problem of pollution, including air conditions inside and outside vehicles. The aim was to release them for the first National Clean Air Day and to help raise awareness of the dangerous levels of air pollution being experienced in parts of the country. The reports also hope to inspire people to push for change to improve the situation.
Finding solutions
One group of those questioned said that both the government and car manufacturers needed to do more to deal with the problem. But nearly two-thirds of the same group said they were willing to pay out from their own pockets to help deal with problem, with an average of around £2.50 a month being the figure they were willing to contribute. This would equate to £1 billion a year if a corresponding number of people in the general population were willing to contribute.
These two reports are among several additional studies being released with the aim of shocking people into action around the subject and to help find solutions. One from King’s College London discovered that the amount of pollution a person inhales while travelling inside a vehicle is significantly higher than if you were cycling the same route.
Today a “Pay as you Pollute” tracking technology was again highlighted in the media as the best way to manage the rising pollution problem, charging high polluters who drive around high risk zones such as schools. However, critics see it as a stealth tax on families and low income groups, who are most likely to drive higher polluting vehicles near high risk areas.
Mistaken assumptions
A poll of 2,000 adults found that 96% incorrectly thought they were inhaling less pollution as a driver or passenger in a vehicle than when they were walking or cycling. In the same poll, 43% said they thought that closing a car window made them safe from harmful emissions, even though harmful particles from emissions can be just as damaging inside a car as outside.
Face masks are another idea that people believe in, yet which seem to have little material benefit. Air quality scientists say that they have little effect at filtering out the microscopic particles that have such a huge effect on the heart. Heart-related problems account for around 72% of the UK’s 40,000 premature deaths from outdoor pollution, including strokes. The remaining 28% are from respiratory problems.
Can you limit the risk?
As part of National Clean Air Day, motorists are being asked to study their routes and to look at them from a pollution perspective. A new app has been launched covering London, Birmingham and Glasgow, to show which areas of the city are most polluted. It helps people avoid these areas, easing the problem and reducing the health risk.
As a driver, there are other ways you can limit risk. The first thing to do is ALWAYS switch on air con to circulate air inside the cabin of the car only. This cannot stop harmful fumes coming in, but it can reduce them by 20-30%. Keep the windows shut at all times while commuting and, if possible, limit journeys by car if other means of transport can be used instead.
What do you think about these results? Are you shocked that drivers and passengers are affected more by toxic fumes than cyclists and pedestrians? Will this be a wake up call for people to act? Let us know in the comments below.
Jun 21, 2017
The electric vehicle (EV) is finding real traction both in the UK and across the globe. However, a serious issue remains – the limited number of EV charging points. Is it possible that the humble street lamp could hold the answer?
The UK’s charging infrastructure is often citied as one of the biggest bottlenecks to mass electric vehicle adoption – it simply isn’t expansive or convenient enough for most EV drivers. Factor in differing socket types, reliability and availability and you have an issue that is in urgent need of addressing.
Figures show that electric cars past the two-million mark globally, with sales increasing by a massive 60% in 2016 alone thanks to new models and lower prices in showrooms. In the UK, plug-in car sales recently hit 100,000.
UK EVs are supported by a network of public charge points in more than 4,000 locations, according to vehicle-charging website zap-map.com. However, that’s not enough to keep up with expected demand over the coming years. Enter German company Ubitricity, which has come up with an ingenious solution to the problem – installing a socket that EV drivers can plug a bespoke charging cable into on the 7.5 million street lamps across the UK .
Put a socket on it
The process is simple enough – the local council pays the company to swap out a street lamp’s existing panel and retrofit it with a socket and cover. The process takes a mere 30 minutes before the street lamp is ready to be used. EV drivers then purchase the smart charging cable that connects their vehicle to the lamp post. The cable features technology that monitors and uploads all pertinent metering and billing information.
The cable costs £50 and can also be used on standard sockets, bypassing Ubitricity altogether if necessary. Subscribers should expect to pay roughly 15 pence per kilowatt hour and a 9 pence plug-in charge, plus a monthly fee for the service. The only concerns are the potential security issues, where someone could steal the cable when in use or simply remove it from the EV being charged and plug it into their own.
Despite such concerns, the technology has genuine appeal to councils. Installing a traditional public charging point is believed to cost around £6,000, while the lamp-based tech costs a mere £1,000. Better still, the council can get help covering installation costs by taking advantage of the £2.5 million on offer through the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles’ On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme.
Dealing with pollution head-on
Perhaps most importantly, the street lamp technology is seen as a valid way to drive down pollution in cities. Peter Buckwell, Richmond Council Cabinet member for highways, commented in an interview with the International Business Times,
“Poor air quality is one of the biggest issues facing London. We need to do everything we can to cut vehicle emissions… I hope that as we continue to roll out more charging points, even more residents will start buying electric cars. They aren’t just good for the environment, they are also good for the pocket.”
Richmond isn’t alone; several London boroughs are already adopting the unique charging system. For instance, Hounslow Council has already installed 26 charge points in a trial and expects to have 75 charge points rolled out by the middle of 2019. Only time will tell how far the scheme eventually spreads across the UK, but with such a simple and cost effective solution, don’t be surprised to see the technology appear in a street lamp near you before too long.
Would you take the plunge and plug your EV into a street lamp? Or do you have concerns about the technology? Let us know your thoughts below.
Photo Credit: Photo on Pixabay
Jun 21, 2017
The government is currently reviewing the results of its consultation on extending a new car’s need to have its first MOT from three years to four. For drivers’ wallets, it’s potentially good news, but many in the auto sector remain deeply concerned about the plan.
Representing the biggest change to the MOT for 50 years, the move would benefit 2.2 million drivers annually. They would no longer need to pay for the test in the third year of their vehicle ownership, thus saving themselves £109 million collectively per annum. The Department for Transport and Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) have stated that the change would see the UK’s MOT regulation being brought into line with other countries in Europe, such as France and Denmark.
Road safety at risk?
However, industry experts say that the change could wreak havoc on road safety. Research shows that around 17% of cars fail an MOT on their initial attempt, with technicians in 2016 identifying over 400,000 potentially fatal vehicle defects. These included 85,720 tyre-related failures, 47,138 brake failures and 24,628 suspension failures. By extending the period from three to four years, Euro Car Parts claims that 410,000 extra unsafe cars will be unleashed on our roads, including 28,573 extra unsafe tyres.
Critically, industry chiefs say that it’s thanks to the MOT deadline that drivers remain focused on their vehicle’s maintenance and upkeep, such as monitoring and replacing worn tyres. Indeed, research by TRL in 2011 revealed that motorists would fail to properly maintain their vehicles without the pressure of a looming MOT deadline.
Jobs under the hammer
Then there’s the impact the extension could have on the MOT sector itself. Some predict that Britain’s 22,000 garages, which carry out 29 million MOTs annually, would be hit hardest, driving down incomes and threatening jobs in the sector. Shaban Ali, founder of MOT and servicing app MyFutureMot.co.uk, told the Bristol Post,
“Whilst arguing that the move will save motorists £109m collectively, it can also be said that the industry is set to lose £1bn annually if the proposal goes forward. It’s no secret that the industry gets a large part of its revenue from repairs and not the MOT fees. The repairs industry has weathered many storms recently but this change could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.”
Drivers beware
An industry that is set to lose so much might be expected to challenge the MOT move. However, drivers aren’t as keen on the move as might be anticipated either. According to an AA survey of 19,000 members, only 44% of motorists were in favour of the change, while 26% were set against it. The rest remained undecided.
The MOT itself came into existence in 1960, with the three-year check introduced in 1967. Some argue that this length of time means an overhaul of the test is long overdue, because cars are now more reliable and have better safety features. Perhaps the real question, though, is whether driver attitudes towards maintenance have changed for the better or worse over the years. Maybe it’s this area that the government’s review of the consultation should focus on next, before taking a final decision on the MOT change in 2018.
What do you think of the proposed change to the MOT? Is it a much needed reconfiguring of a dated, 50-year-old rule or a move that will put motorists’ lives in danger? Let us know your views below.
Jun 16, 2017
The latest Financial Ombudsman’s Annual Report shows that car finance loans have become the third most complained about matter. Following payday loans and PPI, car finance complaints have increased by a staggering 64% in the last year, leading experts to admit that this could be the next mis-selling scandal.
What are personal contract purchases?
A personal contract purchase (PCP) is a type of car loan offered by forecourt salesmen working on commission. It involves minimal credit checks in order to ensure people that can afford it. PCP loans often allow people to drive away in a new car despite paying a deposit as low as a few hundred pounds.
Loans are sometimes offered that are worth more than the individual’s salary and hire car agreements now account for 90% of car sales across the UK. Watchdogs are set to probe these ‘irresponsible’ loans, as there are concerns that salesmen aren’t using an affordability test to ensure that people can afford the loans.
Increasing complaints
The concerns are highlighted by the 64% increase in complaints to the Financial Ombudsman about such loans. The increase comes as figures show that the UK spent over £3.5 billion on car loan deals in March alone, an increase of 13% on the same period last year.
Complaints about hire purchase policies rose to 5,029 complaints in 2016-17, the majority of which were concerning car purchases. This is an increase from 3,072 in the previous year’s report, according to the FOS. And looking back two years, the increase is even higher, 73% from a figure of just 1,784.
Complaints about this type of finance were the third most complained about topic after payday loans and PPI. Payday loans received 10,529 complaints in the year, another large increase from 3,216 the previous year. Nearly 60% of the claims were upheld by the Ombudsman in favour of the individual.
Payday loan lenders have seen an increase in rules applying to their practices in recent years, including limits on how many times they can ‘roll over’ a loan and how much interest they can charge. These rules have aimed to stop spiralling debt.
In total, the Financial Ombudsman received 25,984 complaints in 2016-17, an increase from 13,713 on the previous period. Complaints were on a wide range of topics including catalogue shopping, credit reference agencies and guarantor and logbook loans (where another person or a vehicle is used as security).
Regulation inspection
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has recently said that it plans to look into the high-cost credit sector, including overdrafts and high-cost products. Its measures have already placed a price cap on the payday loan sector, which came into force in January 2015 and will be reviewed this year.
The FCA next plans to look at high-cost products to see if they are being used correctly or if they are detrimental to the customer. Overdrafts in particular can have poor price transparency and charging levels, particularly un-arranged overdrafts.
As more people complain about car loans, there is little doubt that the FCA will expand its investigation to encompass this area. What it will find and how it will approach the matter will have a big impact on how people acquire car financing in the future.
We would like to know our readers’ thoughts on car finance loans, so please add your comments below.
Image Credit – Pixabay
Jun 15, 2017
The European Union has ambitious plans to take charge of road safety rules and make them uniform across the whole of Europe’s 28 countries. The rules cover speed limits, new technology and road safety measures, with the aim of protecting the most vulnerable road users (such as pedestrians and cyclists). They aim to halve road traffic fatalities by 2030 and halve the cost of accidents by €50 billion a year.
The plans were drawn up with the transport ministers of all 28 member states, including Chris Grayling, the Transport Minister for the UK Government, in Malta earlier this year, at the Valletta Declaration for Road Safety. (Download the plan here)
Last week, the EU endorsed the plans as its road safety strategy for the next 15 years. The move was hailed by road safety organisations as “an important step forward in protecting against needless lives lost on Europe’s roads,” according to a spokesperson for road safety charity Brake.
Key target to halve road-related deaths
The key target – to halve road-related fatalities by 2030 – is ambitious but achievable. There were 26,100 road-related deaths across the EU in 2015, costing €50 billion a year (increasing to €100 billion when serious accidents are included as well).
Pedestrians and cyclists are to be incorporated into the EU’s mobility plans, with promises to include more “dedicated infrastructure” for these groups, including segregated paths and lanes. Considering recent terrorist events, and how vulnerable cyclists and pedestrians are to the impact of vehicles being used as weapons, this is a logical step, which road safety campaigners will welcome.
The EU also plans to roll out a series of low speed limit zones across the EU, setting a new, standard 30 kph (20 mph) speed limit. Quite when and where the UK will roll out these designated zones is not known. As far as we know, it will be the first time the EU has dictated speed limit restrictions in the UK and is probably the beginning of EU speed limit harmonisation occurring in the future.
Safety technology as standard in all vehicles
One of the most interesting aspects of the declaration is that all 28 member countries have agreed on legislation where new safety technology must be fitted in all new vehicles across the EU. The move is similar to the Euro NCAP standards already in place for seat belts and crash testing.
It is not clear what the timetable is for this new technology, but the underlying objective is clearly focused on saving lives and reducing the chance of high-speed accidents.
The eCall system, for example, allows a car to transmit an “SOS” signal autonomously to the emergency services, cutting response times and saving lives more quickly. Intelligent Speed Assistance is a technology installed in cars that tells the driver when they have reached the speed limit of the road they are on. It also changes dynamically based on when the car moves into a different speed limit, automatically slowing the vehicle down.
Automated Emergency Braking Systems is the most topical system. Some vehicles (such as trucks) already have this technology and it saved lives in the recent terrorist attack in France. The truck used in the Nice terror attack applied a handbrake automatically that could not be overridden after the first major impact.
Interestingly, although the declaration mentioned mobile phone use as a leading cause of road accidents, it did not mention mobile blocking technology. This is perhaps because the major mobile handset and operating system providers are keen to self-regulate rather than allow the EU to impose rules on them.
Do you welcome the EU’s road safety strategy? Are you happy that the EU will determine speed limits, the use of safety technology in cars and road infrastructure decisions in the UK? Let us know in the comments below.
Image Credit – Pixabay
Jun 14, 2017
Earlier this week, several customers who filled their cars up with unleaded fuel at a BP garage on the East Lancashire Road in Liverpool claimed that their fuel tanks had been contaminated with water. All three drivers affected saw their cars break down less than a mile away from the forecourt.
Not only did this impact the drivers financially, as they could not go to work, it also hit them in the wallet with the cost of breakdown recovery and repair. One driver took their nearly new car to Vauxhall and was shocked to discover that fixing the car due to contaminated fuel was not covered by its new car warranty.
Not covered under warranty or car insurance
The £300 bill from Vauxhall to drain the fuel tank and replace the fuel lines was not covered by the driver’s car insurance either. Insurers regard this as being the fault of the driver, along the same lines as putting diesel into an unleaded vehicle. The Liverpool Echo reported that the garage has provided refunds, but this claim has not been confirmed by the affected drivers.
The garage itself has apologised for causing the issues but has not specifically explained why water was mixed in with the unleaded fuel reservoir . All other forms of fuel sold at the station were unaffected.
While this could be regarded as an isolated incident, a similar issue occurred at two fuel stations using the brand name Clean Energy on Merseyside in March earlier this year. Several drivers were affected and in one instance a BMW driver was unable to claim insurance for a repair bill totalling £1,400 (for draining the fuel tank and replacing the entire fuel system in the engine).
Contaminated fuel: trend or isolated incident?
One of the mechanics who repaired an affected car took a picture to illustrate what was in the fuel tank (see image) and posted it on Facebook. He was then inundated with comments from other drivers also affected by water-diluted petrol. This made us think at PetrolPrices – are we seeing a new trend here or is this isolated to Merseyside?
Liverpool City Council confirmed that Citizens Advice was dealing with six complaints in relation to contaminated fuel in that month alone, so there does appear to be something happening here. It is unclear whether mixing water with petrol is legal and whether there is any form of legal redress to get compensation back from any garages that do this, especially if it is not covered by warranty or insurance.
Can you protect against contaminated fuel?
Worryingly, there is no way to tell if the pump you are using is contaminated by water. The only way to guard against it is by checking out Facebook or local media sources to ensure that you are aware of stations that have been cited as having contaminated fuel locally and steering well clear of them.
If you are affected by contaminated fuel in your car, it seems that the only way to get financially compensated is to raise it with the local Citizens Advice Bureau and seek compensation from the garage you think has provided the contaminated fuel. They are not obligated to provide a refund but given the impact this could have on their sales, one would expect they would see reason and pay to keep their reputation intact.
Have you been affected by fuel being diluted with water? Is this a new form of scam or just an honest mistake by the garages in question? Are you happy that this is not covered under vehicle warranty or that you cannot claim on your insurance for it? Let us know in the comments below.
