There was an even larger rise in the number of small motorcycles registered, with around a 20 percent increase last year. A major manufacturer of scooters, Peugeot, has said that in 2011 there was nearly a 50 percent increase in scooter sales across the UK and this figure was greatest in London. Honda, who make small motorcycles, have also seen a significant sales increase on previous years figures.

While the number of small and efficient two wheeled vehicles has increased, the sales of larger motorbikes have decreased significantly, with some motorcycle sellers reporting sales drops of nearly 10 percent.

Gary Thomas from Scootering magazine has commented, “It is clear that these figures are due to the increased cost of travel. We expect that many of these sales are from people who are trading in one of their cars for a more efficient vehicle. Families which had two cars previously are now going to have one car and a scooter for one of the parents which they will ride into work.”

A representative from Peugeot has stated, “Scooters are around twice as efficient as a car so you can halve your motoring costs by driving one. They are also cheaper to park and this is another way that buyers can save money.” It is not just the price of parking that is a problem, and many stations do not have adequate spaces, having a scooter can alleviate this problem.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The new system is going to mean the cars don’t have to have an MOT test for four years after being purchased new, and after that they only have to have an MOT every other year. The changes are being considered by the government so the U.K.’s MOT testing system is similar to that of Europe.

A consortium of motoring groups, safety organisations, and retailers have come together to oppose the change. They have recently issued a report that shows the extra financial burden that is going to be placed on motorists.

The government have said that they expect people to save nearly £25 because of the change but this group estimates there will be extra costs to motorists in the range of around £80. This figure has been calculated by working out the additional costs of fuel usage, insurance premiums and additional repairs.

Furthermore, the group highlights the additional risks to peoples safety associated with having less well maintained vehicles on the road. They estimated the cost to the UK economy will be over £1.4 billion because of the additional serious injuries and deaths that will occur on the roads, as well as the revenues that will be lost through the expected job losses.

The report states, “The UK has some of the safest roads in the world and this is because of our rigorous testing regime. If we start lowering the standards then more people are going to be injured on the roads and this is going to cost the taxpayer a lot more in the long run.”

Related posts:

1. £437 million is the amazing cost of ‘blind-spots’ According to the latest research from the Accident Exchange, over...
2. Advice for New Drivers: 5 Things You May Not Know An Advertorial Post It seems that one of the rites...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The survey was conducted by the AA and it showed that poorer drivers were suffering the most from high petrol costs. In May 2011 the survey of over 11,500 people showed that many people were cutting back on the use of their cars, the people who are doing this the most were those in the lower income bracket.

Nearly 30% of people surveyed said that they had a set amount that they allowed themselves to spend on petrol, and with prices around 17p more expensive than they were this time last year motorists are being able to go less far for the same amount of money.

Edmund King is the President of the AA and in a letter to the Chancellor he wrote, “The car is a necessity for most people as it allows them to get to work, do their shopping, and receive adequate healthcare. It is also a way for them to have a higher quality of life. We are disappointed that the increase in fuel duty happened, despite the fact the price of fuel was already rising due to a higher cost of oil. As a body we recognise the governments need to bring in more tax revenue through petrol but lowering the cost of petrol will stimulate economic activity.”

Related posts:

1. Million less cars on the road because of motoring costs Sainsbury‘s Car Insurance has done new research that has found...
2. Women using cars much less because of household budgets The school run can finally be called the school walk,...
3. The ever increasing costs of motoring The sky rocketing increases in diesel and petrol prices has...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Despite the current brief respite, fuel costs are set to rise again within the next couple of months amid an increasing surge for demand from Asian economies which are booming. Forecasters at the Ernst and Young ITEM club predict that this will trigger another boom in the worlds oil markets.

Despite this, petrol and oil prices are expected to drop slightly soon, as the disruptions in the supply chain caused by the Libyan conflict and Hurricane Irene start to diminish. The steep rise expected in petrol and energy prices will further intensify the squeeze on household finances at a time when the average pay rise is well below the level of inflation.

Neil Blake is a senior economic advisor from the ITEM club, and he says that by 2013, the prices consumers are paying at the pumps will once again be taking a large chunk of the household’s finances. He added that the high demand from emerging markets were maintaining the pressure on inflation, and would further increase the fuel duty we pay on the home front.

The Chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce in January a deferred annual price increase in petrol of 3p a litre, and a further rise is likely next August.

Related posts:

1. More petrol misery on the way Retailers are warning that motorists will have to deal with...
2. Tesco cuts petrol prices independents call foul Tesco will be cutting its petrol prices by 2p, making...
3. Motorists long for 1990’s petrol prices A recent survey shows that drivers, looking back 20 years...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The majority of cases are caused by the driver who is at fault by them not indicating as they change lanes and subsequently collide with another vehicle. Other typical causes are driving without paying due care and attention and poor visibility at the side or to the rear.

The new data from the Accident Exchange also suggest that the amount of accidents that occur during lane changes now tops 152,000. The average cost of repairs in each accident is £2,876, and this figure is greatly inflated when you add on the financial impact on the emergency services and the lost hours at work caused by having to deal with insurance companies and garages.

In 2010 there was as estimated 2.5m accidents on the roads of the UK. Figures from the Department of Transport show that the contributory factor most reported for an accident is not checking for another vehicle. The large door pillars on modern cars that give poor all round visibility make matters even more difficult.

In the majority of incidents, the ‘at fault’ party moved from the right to the left, striking the driver’s side of the innocent motorist’s car.

“The sharp rise in drivers seemingly unaware of the presence of another vehicle in an adjacent lane is pretty startling,” said Lee Woodley of Accident Exchange.

“Today’s cars are packed with ‘active’ safety equipment, but for some vehicles strengthened frames can mean reduced visibility and larger blind-spots. Older cars tend to have slimmer pillars which don’t obscure the driver’s view to the side or rear as much. This is certainly part of the problem.”

In 2005, the Driving Standards Agency, which regulates driving tests, took the step of banning the new Mini Convertible because examiners complained about its poor rear visibility.

Last year, Which? Car compiled a list of the best and worst cars for visibility in which the Smart ForTwo Coupe came top, and the Porsche Boxter came last.

The Accident Exchange research was based on 50,000 claims handled between 2009 and June 2011.

Related posts:

1. Nearly 1.5 million drivers do not have insurance If you are one of the estimated 1.4 million British...
2. Million less cars on the road because of motoring costs Sainsbury‘s Car Insurance has done new research that has found...
3. £4 million worth of stolen cars recovered in South Africa Fresh on the footsteps of news that the UK vehicle...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Garage labour rates pass £200 mark

The ever increasing cost of motoring continues to rise as the rates for mechanics reach new heights, soaring to over £200 at one dealers, according to figures from Warranty Directs annual survey on labour rates. With the average rate of garage labour, taking in both independent workshops and franchised dealers, rising by 7.5%, which is way above the 4.5% inflation rate, an hour of a mechanics time will now cost £80.44, a hefty rise from the £74.82 it cost in 2010.

The survey has also revealed that the workshops of franchised dealers were, on average, 57% more expensive than their counterparts who were non franchise, the biggest gap that has been seen between the two for years. While some vehicle owners will shell out £35 an hour at the cheapest of the independent workshops, other will pay a hefty £202.21, the highest labour rate that Warranty Direct has ever seen.

The average hourly labour rate of a franchised dealer is now £95.83, as opposed to £90.59 in 2010, while the typical charge of an independent is now £60.68, up from £55.90 in 2010. Apart from inflation, the increase of the prices at the franchised dealers can be attributed to their fixed price servicing that carries a discount.

This rapidly increasing trend, where motorists pay a large sum up front to pay for service bundles of 2,3, and 4 years, could be resulting in dealers funding these discounts by charging a great deal more for their standard servicing and repairs, as well as for those who simply break down.

Top 10 most expensive regions for garage labour rates

Top 10 least expensive regions for garage labour rates

Warranty Direct’s survey shows Middlesex to be the most expensive postcode to get cars repaired – charging £98.21 on average. In contrast, those lucky enough to break down in Dumfries and Galloway will usually pay £54.82. The most dramatic year-on-year rises were in Gwent (+26.9%) and East Sussex (+24.3%). Conversely, Manchester benefitted from a near 10% fall in rates on average.

Duncan McClure Fisher of Warranty Direct said: “Drivers might have hoped there’d be some reprieve from the staggering costs of motoring, but no, they’re getting clobbered yet again.

“To think that some workshops are charging in excess of £200 an hour is astounding – that’s equivalent to some people’s weekly wage. Motoring costs are approaching an unsustainable level.

“There’s been a move to push fixed priced service deals, but the knock-on effect is that dealers then charge much more for anybody who isn’t locked in and, once the car is on site, it’s often impractical to find a better price.”

Warranty Direct cover starts from as little as £15 a month. All policies protect against wear & tear, failures caused by uninsured parts and failures found during a service or MOT.

For more information on the reliability of your vehicle, visit www.reliabilityindex.com,

Related posts:

1. Scotland’s Highlands are easiest place to pass driving test The secret to passing the driving test on your first...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

This means that not only are they making short journeys such as the school run on foot, but have also made fewer plans to use the car during the school holidays to take their kids out on day trips. Additionally, the report revealed that one 1 in 20 mums have sold one of the cars in the household, and another third are considering doing the same due to the soaring price of petrol and diesel.

The report also made other key findings such as 9 in 10 mums are feeling the adverse effects of the economy, 2 in 3 are worried about how much they will spend in the school holidays, 9 in 10 are saving less and almost half are regularly going overdrawn. Many others have responded to this strain on their finances by using less energy, shopping for supermarket’s own brand products and giving their children less treats.

Related posts:

1. Ouch, women are actually better drivers Woman are usually ridiculed for the way they drive but...
2. Fuel could become biggest household outgoing It has been revealed that some people will be spending...
3. Newer cars for younger drivers RoadSafe the road charity issued a statement that said choosing...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Another town has complained of problems in the county. Ceredigion says it will take close to a year to put the system fully in place as control is moving from traffic wardens run by police to be operated by councils. There were three wardens in the county with two working in Aberystwyth and one covered Cardigan and other towns.

AA spokesman Paul Watters urged drivers to act responsibly saying it was clearly a mess as a smoother transition would have worked out much better. Some minor offences for parking violations can be quite high so many of the residents are feeling that the situation is cutting them a bit of slack.

Related posts:

1. Southampton parking warden’s strike Protesting council pay cuts, the Southampton parking wardens have started...
2. Up to £6.80 an hour parking for Manchester shoppers Under new city-centre parking charges, Manchester shoppers will have to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

It is not just the most recent of increase in prices of fuel that is stretching the pockets of motorists. The VAT increases in January up to 20% means servicing and car parts are costing more than last year. Seventeen percent of the people surveyed said they had tried to forget about a problem they had with their car due to the cost of repairing it and another 15% said they cut back on the servicing of the car in order to save money.

Another concern is that just less 10% of motorists have ignored problems with tyres because of the cost of renewing them make for very dangerous situations Admiral managing director Sue Longthorn said.

It is quite a worry that motorists will drive around with their tyres in bad conditions which could cause additional problems which could be long term and could cause them to get into an accident or cause an accident for other drivers.

There are ways for car owners to reduce their operating cost of the car for example shopping around for the best prices of car insurance and taking the time and effort for the best quotes on routine maintenance and car repairs.

Related posts:

1. FairFuelUK want fuel costs controlled FairFuelUK is campaigning desperately to convince George Osborne and the...
2. Car insurance is at the front of motoring concerns According to the motoring website honestjohn.com.uk the most important matter...
3. Motor insurance costs set on turbo Figures released today by the AA have confirmed what many...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Manchester council’s director of neighborhood service, Vicky Rosin, has said that the on street charges have remained the same for six years in the city centre. The idea is to make sure the limited amount of on street parking is available to motorists that want to make quick short visits to the centre and to reduce congestion because of regular turnover of spaces. The increase makes parking more expensive than in Birmingham and Leeds.

The most expensive car park in the city is £6.80 an hour at the King Street West and it is only £9.50 for four hours of car park in Great Northern in zone three. The city’s Liberal Democrats councilors are calling for further scrutiny saying that not only have they extended the hours they charge, they charge on Sundays and now they are adding increases on top of that.

This has caused residents to be up in arms and the charges will make people want to come and shop in the area less and less making it difficult for the city to compete with other out of town city centers.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.