Brake welcomes crackdown on killer drivers
Brake, the road safety charity, has welcomed figures published on 21 May 2015 by the Ministry of Justice showing more drivers convicted of killing are going to jail for longer. The annual criminal justice statistics for 2014 show three in five drivers (60 per cent) convicted of causing death in England and Wales receive immediate custodial sentences, up from just over half (54 per cent) in 2013. The average sentence length for these drivers is four years, up from three and a half years in 2013.
Continue ReadingNFDA calls on government to allow private HGV-MOT testers
“A move to allow private HGV-MOT Testers could only be a step in the right direction”, said Sue Robinson, director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers across the UK.
Continue ReadingGiti: Rim sizes getting larger, and the UK is more ‘high-performance’ than many think
Having heard both the consensus and a third party perspective on what the high performance tyre market is and what is happening in it, when Tyres & Accessories asked Neil Hendry, general manager – Passenger Car Tires, Europe for Giti Tire for his and Gitis view, he offered another perspective again.
Continue ReadingUK beats CO2 emissions targets again
The UK has once again beaten CO2 emissions targets, with the average new car in 2014 posting CO2 emissions 4.2 per cent below this years EU-wide target of 130g/km, according to a Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) new report. The annual SMMT New Car CO2 Report 2015 reveals that carbon tailpipe emissions have fallen for the 17th consecutive year to an all-time low. In 2014, new cars averaged just 124.6g/km, beating last years record average by 2.9 per cent and 2007 levels by almost a quarter (24 per cent).
Continue ReadingChange to the driving licence – paper counterpart to become obsolete
From 8 June 2015 the paper counterpart of the driving licence (D740) is to be abolished and will no longer be issued by the the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
Continue ReadingKlarius backs Government on air pollution targets
On the back of a recent ruling by the Supreme Court that requires the UK government to take action on air pollution in several major cities, the UK’s largest vehicle emission control component manufacturer Klarius has revealed plans to increase the manufacturing volumes of its pollution reducing diesel particulate filters (DPFs) and catalytic converters (CATs). Not only that, Klarius has increased its schedule of new-to-range introductions to include far more cars and light commercial vehicles in the near future. Essentially aimed at older cars that produce a higher level of pollution, it’s thought that the ability to ensure all UK replacement emission components meet high quality and performance standards will make a significant contribution to the Government’s task of meeting new stricter pollution reduction targets.
Continue ReadingIMI asks: ‘Is anyone addressing UK’s employment and skills challenges?’
Steve Nash, CEO of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) comments on the manifestos of the main political parties: “It’s tremendously encouraging to see that every political party is making a commitment to the concept of apprenticeships. But we do have a concern about whether the real thinking has been done behind the promises. […]
Continue ReadingNFDA gives advice on tax disc rule changes
Following news that thousands of drivers have had their cars clamped and received fines of hundreds of pounds after being caught out by the change in tax disc rules, the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers across the UK, is issuing advice on the new taxation procedures.
Continue ReadingUS tyre association opposes tyre registration legislation
The Tire Industry Association (TIA) us officially opposing apparent tyre registration language in the Generating Renewal, Opportunity, and Work with Accelerated Mobility, Efficiency, and Rebuilding of Infrastructure and Communities throughout America Act or GROW AMERICA Act that was released on 30 March 2015. At the crux of the issue is the way which the it opens the possibility that independent tyre dealer must register who buys which tyre and send this information to the government at no cost to the consumer.
Continue ReadingCV fleet operators ‘missing out on £2.6bn fuel savings’
New research from Go Ultra Low has shown that commercial vehicle operators and fleet managers are missing out on a share of more than £2.6 billion potential fuel savings, accessible by opting for an ultra-low emission van.
Continue ReadingIAAF successfully challenges BMW under Block Exemption
The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) has successfully challenged BMW after the car-making giant refused to honour the warranty on a vehicle that was serviced and repaired outside of the BMW main dealer network. The BMW 318i, which was less than three years old, was presented to a BMW dealership in Hampshire after it broke down due to a problem caused by the oil filter overheating the engine. After inspecting the damage, BMW said it would not repair the vehicle because the oil filter was a non-manufacturer part and it didn’t have any record of the vehicle ever being serviced within the manufacturer network.
Continue ReadingLow Carbon Vehicle Public Procurement Programme deploys 700 vehicles in UK
Cenex – the UK’s first Centre of Excellence for low carbon technologies – has announced the publication of the ‘Low Carbon Vehicle Public Procurement Programme (LCVPPP) Reports.
Continue ReadingGovernment grant to buy electric bikes
Consumers will be able to receive a Government grant of up to £1,500 off the sale price of electric motorcycles and scooters, in a bid to encourage the purchase of zero emission two wheeler vehicles, the Government has announced.
Continue ReadingPRA joins in call for ATMs to be exempt from business rates
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which represents Britain’s 5,400 independent petrol filling stations, has joined the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) in calling for ATMs to be exempt from Business Rates.
Continue ReadingCall to make telematics part of driving test
Crispin Moger, CEO at Marmalade, the provider of cars and insurance for young drivers, has commented on the calls from the IAM to overhaul the current driving test. He explains the best way to promote driver safety for young people is to encourage the wider use of black box technology.
Continue Reading