Motoring News » Motoring statistics

Women are better at parking than men

Alan — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:19:13 +0000

The story goes that women are not as good at parking as men, perhaps because they lack spatial awareness. However, covert surveillance in Britain’s car parks found that women are a little slower to park than their male counterparts but that their positioning within the space is much better.

The average British motorist parks a car just over 1000 times in their life. This equates to 9 days worth of parking for men and 12 days of parking for women. Looking at 7 components of parking, researchers from Germany found that women score 13.4 points on average, while men get 12.3 points out of the available 20.

Men are more skilled for driving forward into spaces, whereas women are more likely to use driving instructors’ preferred technique of reversing into parking bays. Women are better at locating available spaces, whereas impatient men miss free spaces by driving too quickly.

Women also seem to be better at lining their car up prior to starting to park with 75% get into a good position whereas just 50% of men do so. While professional instructors teach that bay parking should be done in reverse, just 28% of men did so compared to 39% of women.

Men are quicker at getting their car parked, taking just 16 seconds to do so, where women took 21 seconds on average to complete the manoeuvre. Perhaps this is why women are able to get their car parked in the middle of a space twice as often as men, with 52% of women managing a central park. Men are generally happier with their speedy park, with far fewer deciding to reposition their car after they have got it into the bay.

This research by Neil Beeson contradicts the figures from the Driving Standards Agency which said that last year thousands more women fail driving tests on parking errors than men.

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Used Car of the Year Award 2011 from CAP

Alan — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:07:14 +0000

For the second year running, CAP. The independent benchmark UK used car price experts have voted the Nissan Qashqui as the ‘used car of the year’.

A judging panel that comprised of CAP experts in both vehicle valuation and used car markets picked the Qashqui from their shortlist of 6. The judges awarded points that were based in the CAP criteria for excellence is several areas.

Affordability and practicality of ownership
Trusted reputation
Retail popularity
Innovative impact on motor industry

Unlike other car awards, the CAP Used Car of the Year is designed to acknowledge all-round excellence from the perspective of everyone touched by the vehicle, including private owners, company car drivers, fleet operators and even used car dealers themselves.

The Qashqai scores highly in every area of CAP’s judging criteria and delivers significant benefits to everyone in the chain of supply, from dealers to owners and drivers.

Judging panel chairman Mark Bulmer, Editor of CAP Black Book – the industry’s independent benchmark guide to used car trade values – summed up the Qashqai’s ongoing success as a used car. He said: “It is a great all-rounder that is perfect for its purpose, delivering on style as well as practicality for the motorist and providing a great retail proposition for used car dealers.”

The CAP panel noted that even on the question of depreciation, the Qashqai is a consistently strong proposition that tends to outperform the general market.

The Qashqai was chosen from a strong shortlist of Citroen DS3, Nissan Qashqai, Vauxhall Zafira, Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta and Renault Clio.

Full judging summary

CAP always believed this vehicle had the potential to become a great used car, beyond the excellent marketing hype that generated so much interest in it as a new vehicle. Last year was the first time that 3 year old used examples began escaping from the main dealer network and entered the open market, where the true qualities of a vehicle are finally revealed.

Their performance in terms of demand and trade price was excellent but CAP needed to see more volume. We were there when the first large numbers of Qashqai were entered into one sale. The hall was full and bidding started at CAP Clean. Internet bidders could not keep up as all the major buyers present kept raising their hands to acquire these first offerings. Since that first sale the Qashqai has consistently performed well and whenever a vehicle goes through a sale there is always a buyer, even in a slow market. Despite growing volumes the number seen for sale on forecourts never seems to build up thanks to a steady stream of retail activity. When we speak to people in the trade the Qashqai model range is always at the top of the list for acquiring stock and volumes available on the internet always seem relatively low.

In late 2010 a serious challenger to the 07 Qashqai entered the market. But this serious rival was simply the newer model and that is now becoming the dominant player in the market, despite the main changes being generally cosmetic. The new buzz word in the auction is N-tec and this striking derivative ticks all the boxes for the wholesale buyer and retail customer alike.

The Nissan Qashqai has created an entirely new ‘crossover’ sector and prompted other manufacturers to follow by marrying the practicality of a people carrier style car with the looks of a quality 4×4. By achieving this in a package that also offers economy, handling, strong build quality and reliability the Qashqai has become the perfect used car for our time. It is also worth noting that this has been achieved without a premium brand badge and the inevitably high price tag that would come with it. The trusted Nissan brand reputation is sufficient here, without the need to impress neighbours with an ‘aspirational’ badge. Finally, in a market which is currently vulnerable to growing supply of nearly new vehicles – and the inevitable consequence of higher depreciation – the 4 month delivery on a new Qashqai ensures continued high demand for all sub-12 month old examples.

Much has been said about the Qashqai as a new car. But the real test of a vehicle is what it brings to the all-important used car market. It is clear that despite very strong competition, for the second year running the Nissan Qashqai clearly deserves the title ‘CAP Used Car of the Year 2011’.

The judging panel

Mark Bulmer – Editor, Black Book
Clive Wilson – Market Research Editor
Tim Bearder – Market Research Editor
Philip Nothard – Retail & Consumer Editor

The chart represents the monthly trade price movement of Nissan Qashqai compared with the market average during 2011. This reveals that for most of the year, Qashqai has retained its value at 3 years, 60,000 miles better than the overall market.

Used Car of the Year Award 2011 from CAP

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The car parts most likely to break down this Summer

Alan — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:09:26 +0000

New data has revealed that motorists could soon be hit by repair bills that are 10% higher than usual thanks to the summer taking its toll on their cars reliability. The warning comes from the specialist insurer Warranty Direct, who have disclosed a list of which car parts fail the most in the summer months between June-August.

The warmer and drier climes that we experience through the summer seem to take its toll on suspension and axle failures, which account for more than a quarter of the claims made to Warranty Direct. Major internal engine problems and engine cooling breakdowns account for 9.16% and 9.34% of claims respectively and can result in repair bills of as much as £7,239.

The average repair bill is 10% higher in the summer than in the winter and over 4 in 10 motorists make a claim between June-August, compared with 36% during the winter months. In 2010, 4/5 of the most costly repair bills occurred between the months of June and August.

The parts most likely to fail during June-August

	Part of Car	Proportion of claims (%)
1	Axle & Suspension	25.39
2	Engine Cooling System	9.35
3	Major Engine fault	9.16
4	Braking System	5.36
5	Steering System	4.77
6	Battery	4.64
7	Manual Transmission	4.63
8	Air Conditioning	4.62
9	Turbo	3.61
10	Ignition System	3.58

Overall, the 10 components identified by Warranty Direct as most likely to cause a breakdown in the summer account for over 75% of claims during that period.

Brake and steering components are the next most likely items to fail during the summer – though equally susceptible in the winter – followed by the battery, transmission and ignition system.

Unsurprisingly, more air-conditioning malfunctions surface as temperatures climb, while turbochargers round off the top 10.

Duncan McClure Fisher of Warranty Direct said: “Cars are complex and sensitive to the environment they are subjected to.

“In these straightened times, anything a motorist can do to mitigate motoring costs, or at least make them more predictable, is worthwhile. Maintenance and a degree of mechanical sympathy make a difference, but often breakdowns just happen.”

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, or for a quote on cover www.warrantydirect.co.uk.

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Which vehicles most likely to be stolen in the UK according to Confused.com

Alan — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:15:42 +0000

Confused.com has released its list of the most stolen vehicles in the UK and has teamed up with ex-burglar turned good, Michael Fraser, to help offer tips to drivers on how to keep their vechiles safe and sound.

According to the group’s customer data, the least likely car to be stolen is the Ford Ka3 with no theft incidents reported in the last seven years from over 9,000 different owners. With a .41% chance of theft topping the list is the Toyota Yaris. This figure means that about one out of every 244 Yaris will be stolen. Coming in second place is the Volkswagen Touareg followed by the Volvo XC90, Porsche 911, and in fifth place the Seat Altea.

On the other side of the coin, following behind the Ford Ka3 as the least stolen vehicles are the Suzuki Ignis, Chevrolet Matiz, Nissan Skyline, and the Hyundai I10 Comfort.

Car insurance specialists at Confused.com have interviewed security expert and ex-burglar, Michael Fraser, to get a picture of what car owners can do to avoid losing their car to a thief. Motorists can access Michael’s tips and a Confused.com video on how to beat car thieves and keep cars safe by visiting the Confused.com website.

34 years ago, Michael stole cars himself, choosing the Ford Capri and Bedford vans due to the fact that they were relatively easy to take. Michael Fraser now advises on which vehicles thieves might target, and his advice includes a look at how new technology is affecting car theft.

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Uninsured drivers are nightmare for public and insurance companies

Alan — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 02:30:52 +0000

Uninsured drivers have been involved in incidents with over 3 million insured drivers that have resulted in high injury costs, death and an out of control rising cost of insurance in order to cover for those that do not buy insurance. Of all the crashes that were with uninsured drivers over 25% ended in injury with over 4% that involved at lease one death.

Even though driving without insurance is illegal the study showed that many times it involved law abiding citizens that just have not found the time to buy insurance that are injured. In 17% of the accidents the uninsured drivers do not even stop and left the scene and those that at least stopped, over 30% lied about insurance and over 20% tried to get the insured involved.

Direct Line car insurance Director of Underwriting Andy Goldby says that about £30 to every honest driver per year but the biggest cost they are responsible for is the lost lives not worried about the law or other people.

Continuous Insurance Enforcement, in the coming months, will be launched to help stop those that are uninsured and driving. The hope is that the uninsured driver will have no where to hide.

The new system includes; The Motor Insurers’ Bureau will work with the DVLA to help identify the uninsured vehicles, a letter threatening a fine will be sent to those that are found to not have insurance, a £100 fine will be levied against those that do not insure the vehicle and if the vehicle continue to be uninsured, even if the fine was paid, could be destroyed or seized.

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Car sales unexpectedly high in June

Alan — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:54:31 +0000

New car registrations increased by about 10.8% during the month of June marking the 12^th month that registrations were up, according to the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders).

In the fleet market, there was a 25% increase in sales which helped to offset the end of the clunkers scheme that offered motorists cash incentives towards a new vehicle if they scrapped an old model.

The SMMT industry group warned once again though that after the overall increase of the first six months of 2010 sales volumes are due to slip down.

SMMT chief executive, Paul Everitt, stated that the new car market performed well above market expectations during June. He continued to say that the industry expects economic conditions to challenge it throughout the last six months of the year, and government action will be needed in order for businesses and consumers to receive credit.

The bestselling vehicle model in June was the Vauxhall Astra, which is the first time that the model hit the top of sales charts since 2008 in the month of February. Overall for the first half of the year, the Ford Fiesta model topped the charts ahead of both the Astra and the Focus by Ford.

The scrappage scheme accounted for only a small amount of new registrations after it closed at the beginning of 2010.

Funded by both the motor industry and the government, the scheme offered those who traded in a car that was more than ten years old for a newer vehicle 2,000 pounds.

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Write-offs can easily slip back onto the country’s roads

Alan — Sat, 01 May 2010 10:50:54 +0000

The financial doom and gloom of the last couple years is having an unforeseen effect on motoring as more write-off vehicles head back to the road in order to satisfy drivers need for cheaper wheels.

According to figures issued by the DVLA, 2009 saw in excess of 104,000 previously written off vehicles being allowed back on to the roads of the country after they passed safety checks.

This is an increase of nearly 10,000 vehicles on the previous year’s figures. Insurance companies will often abandon a vehicle rather than pay for costly repairs at main agents following a bad smash, these vehicles are termed write-offs.

These write-offs fall into different sections with category A and category B considered too seriously damaged to ever return to the road. However write-offs that fall into category C may be repaired, inspected, and then allowed back onto the road, however the DVLA will then stamp the V5 log-book with the words “previously damaged or repaired” denoting that the vehicle had previously been written off and had since been repaired, and passed a Vehicle Identification Check (VIC).

However perhaps the biggest problem for car buyers are write-offs that fall into category D, this is the lowest category of write-off vehicles, which supposedly are the least damaged, and require the least amount of repair.

The problem is that these vehicles can be repaired without notifying the DVLA, and without any kind of note in the logbook that this vehicle had been involved in an accident and had previously been written off.

The concern is that these vehicles require no inspection, not even an MOT if one is not due. Because there is no need to report a category D vehicle the DVLA have no figures on how many previously damaged vehicles are now back on the roads, or how many accidents occur with these vehicles.

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M6 camera clocks 5000 motorists in 3 months

Alan — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:04:47 +0000

Speed cameras have always been an issue with the British driving public, but the cameras at the roadworks in progress on the M6 near Carlisle have raised a ruckus. According to a recent report, well over 5,000 motorists have been clocked over the 50mph speed limit since the cameras were installed in January this year.

With minimum imposable fines of £60, the treasury could be richer by well over £300,000; however only about half the offenders will be prosecuted; those caught driving over 60mph.

Motoring groups such as Safe Speed and the Association of British Drivers claim that the cameras are an outrage and that their purpose is just a money-maker for the government.

Claire Armstrong, co-founder of Safe Speed, said that this revenue-raising will serve to alienate the public, and that it is not about safe driving, which can’t be determined by the driver’s rate of speed.

Nigel Humphries of the Association of British Drivers brought up the observation that many of the motorists on that stretch of the M6 are not local, and unaware of the repairs in progress or the speed limits, and said the cameras must be situated improperly.

In rebuttal, the Highway Agency says that the cameras are there to protect both motorists and the crew working on the road. There are clear signs posted and the standard yellow cameras are quite visible to motorists, according to Kevin Tea at the Cumbrian Road Safety Partnership. Another Highway Agency spokesman observed that the time saved by driving through at 70mph as opposed to the posted limit is only about 10 seconds.

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Hull is still worst place for car theft

Alan — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:49:27 +0000

According to the Endsleigh Insurance motor theft index, Hull is the most dangerous place to park a car in Britain for the second year in a row.

In second place was Nottingham followed by the West Yorkshire town of Bradford, Manchester, and the South Yorkshire town of Doncaster.

However, Humberside Police denied that crime is rising in Hull, instead pointing to evidence that motor theft has actually reduced over the past year.

The Insurance company stated that there has been a national reduction in car theft over the last year although there are still some towns that pose more of a theft, especially cities found in North England and the Midlands.

On the flip side of the index, Swindon was found to be the safest place to leave a motor vehicle followed in second place by Cheltenham. Rounding out the top five safest places to leave a motor vehicle were Southampton, Solihull, and Bangor.

Endsleigh Insurance compiled the figures by looking over the last three years of motor claims from tens of thousands of British motor insurance policy holders.

Stuart Wartalsi, an employee of the company, stated that the risk of theft is the highest after the holidays when cars are targeted that have cameras, DVDS, satnavs, and laptops inside of them.

Wartalsi advised motorists that they should always hide any valuables under the seat, in the trunk, or out of sight somewhere within the vehicle and that a car should be outfit with an alarm even while parked in well lit areas.

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The busiest speed cameras in the country

Alan — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:35:39 +0000

New figures from the police show that the M11 Woordford, Essex speed camera is the busiest out of all of Britain’s CCTVs due to the fact that it has caught a little over 38,000 speeders which have resulted in £2.3m in fines.

The busiest speed camera in the London area in 2006 and 2007 was the East London Limehouse Link Tunnel camera which caught about seven thousand and five thousand drivers speeding respectively.

Last year however, the Limehouse camera lost its title as the busiest London camera to the A316 camera on Country Way towards the Kemptom Park Racecourse when it caught almost 8500 speeders.

In the Surrey area the A3 Esher bypass camera is also notable given that it has been responsible for catching almost 13,000 speeders over the past three years.

Additionally, a camera in Nottinghamshire on the southbound Elkesley A1 is also one of the busiest cameras at one point catching around a thousand speeders a month. Over the last three years the camera has a caught a total of 23,000 speeders.

Finally, a Sussex camera also gets kudos as the best CCTV camera in its region as the Preston Road, Brighton CCTV caught about 6500 speeders in 2005 although its offenders dropped off in following years.

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