Motoring Newsbriefs

Nov 11 2008 Steve Hughes

COLOUR CODE DRIVERS of grey cars are more likely to need roadside assistance than any other coloured vehicle, according to research by a digital motoring magazine.

The study by the online magazine found that more than one-in-three of the UK's 1.3 million grey car drivers will call on help from breakdown organisations such as the AA or RAC.

The research also shows that green is not necessarily the lucky colour that some drivers think it is. Owners of the nation's sixth most popular car colour are the second most likely group to require roadside assistance.

The order of the colours is grey, green, yellow, gold, white, black, purple, blue, silver and red.

There are more blue cars on UK roads than any other colour at over seven million registered but they are 15 per cent less likely to break down than grey cars, according to the statistics.

CAMERA SHY THE Association of British Drivers is criticising plans to replace fixed speed cameras with ones that measure average speed over a given distance.

ABD spokesman Nigel Humphries, says: "Fixed cameras had some logic behind them because they can be used in specific accident blackspots such as dangerous junctions to make dozy drivers think about what they are doing.

"Average speed cameras will just make drivers switch off their brains and turn them into cruise control missiles.

"Their only positive side is that they reduce the incidence of sudden braking caused by the misuse of fixed cameras, which has actually been shown to increase accidents.

"They are the ultimate embodiment of the late Auberon Waugh's quotation that speed cameras are fatuous instruments of oppression designed to exercise power for its own sake and impose subservience."

CAR GIANT HELP GENERAL Motors boss Rick Wagoner says that the car giant's financial distress is so dire that it must get financial assistance from Washington before President-elect Barack Obama takes office in January.

"This is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently. Now is the time to overshoot, not undershoot when it comes to assistance for the auto industry," he says.

In return for financial aid, General Motors says it is willing to offer the government preferred stock, set limits on executive compensation and to speed-up the introduction of fuel-efficient vehicles.

CUT VAT A REDUCTION in value added tax would benefit consumers and businesses and give the economy a much-needed boost.

This is the view of the Retail Motor Industry Federation, which represents the UK retail motor sector.

RMIF director Sue Robinson has written to the Chancellor prior to the Pre-Budget Report, calling on him to reduce the rate of VAT to 12.5 per cent.

She says: "A lower rate of VAT would help bring down prices without there being a negative impact on retailers. At the same time it would also help reduce costs for businesses.

"A lower rate of VAT would immediately cut the price of major purchases. By effectively cutting five per cent from the price of a new car and attendant maintenance costs our recommended VAT reduction would be a step towards helping to revive the new car market."

SPEND TO SAVE DELAYING or skipping your car's annual service could be a false economy, costing significantly more in the long run.

Although the average cost of a basic car service is £125, failing to have the car maintained correctly means running the risk of being hit with repair costs such as £2,575 for a replacement engine, £520 to replace a cylinder head gasket, £430 to replace a radiator and £240 to replace a water pump.

FREE ADVICE THE new Motor Industry Code of Practice for Service and Repair was launched in August by Motor Codes Limited at the Office of Fair Trading and so far more than 4,000 garages are paid-for subscribers.

A full list of subscribing garages, searchable by postcode, is available at www.motorindustrycodes.co.uk.

The Code provides a free consumer advice line on 0800 692 0825, free conciliation and low-cost, legally-binding arbitration whilst offering consumers more rights than are required by law.

Any UK garage can sign up to the voluntary Code, which is currently progressing through the Office of Fair Trading Consumer Codes Approval Scheme.

LOTUS BLOSSOMS IMPROVEMENTS in efficiency, careful cost cutting, steady sports car sales and an increase in engineering consultancy work have resulted in a profit of £2 million for Lotus Group International Ltd.

Lotus chief executive Mike Kimberley says: 'These results are a tremendous turnaround. We are tracking our strategic five-year plan that enables Lotus to deliver an exciting new range of vehicles, to develop and sell new advanced technologies through our extensive global operations and ultimately to put Lotus on a greener and firmer footing and a consistently profitable commercial basis for the future.'

New markets were opened during the year in South Korea, Thailand and Estonia.

New departments are focusing on biofuels, electric and hybrid electric vehicles. During the next year six electric and hybrid demonstration cars using different technologies will be delivered to global customers.

BACK TRACKING A LIKELY postponement of road tax increases for cars bought before 2006 has been welcomed by the Environmental Transport Association.

Changes announced in the last Budget meant that from 2009 all cars that had been on the road since 2001 would face rises in Vehicle Excise Duty but it now appears likely that next week's Pre-Budget Report will announce that the retrospective emissions-based tax will be postponed.

Director at the ETA, Andrew Davis says: 'Higher-polluting cars should face some form of punitive taxation but it is vital that green taxes are seen as well thought-through and fair.'

The VED changes would have affected almost 70 per cent of Britain's 26 million drivers but it was the retrospective aspect of the tax that most infuriated MPs of all parties.