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  You would think it would go without saying or be standard in most models, but you will be mistaken. It turns out millions of motorists across the UK may be leaving their vehicles unprotected as they have not fitted security measures which could prevent their cars from being stolen. A decision which could be even more costly at this time of year, which often sees a spike in car crime, as thieves try to capitalise on the festive season. This can be a crunch time for car security, where it is estimated more than five million vehicles are in danger of being stolen. Especially after around 14% of drivers concede they have not installed safety tools in their cars to stave off thieves. A recent analysis report revealed two-fifths of drivers have not had a conventional car alarm fitted, while only less than 40% use a built-in steering lock to protect their car. Motor enthusiasts may be surprised to learn more than four-fifths of drivers have not fitted a GPS tracker in their car, while 9...

  Now the temperature is dropping, motorists will be careful to keep their vehicles warm and stop them from freezing. There can be nothing more annoying than having to de-ice your windshield in the morning or even shovelling snow from your bonnet. Who can say? Many motorists may not be aware that, in the process of stopping their engine was freezing over, and keeping their car running, but some car experts now believe this may be a mistake. During cold weather, drivers will start their car in the morning and let it heat up, before driving away. This amounts to a major rethink, where motorists were originally advised they should heat up the engine in advance, because of the carburettors. Drivers were required to idle the car for a period until they reached a temperature where they could function. However, nowadays, the majority of cars are fuel injected and do not come with carburettors. Therefore, experts feel you do not have to wait for the car to heat up, and you can just drive o...

  It is no secret the pandemic has taken a terrible toll on many businesses, from hospitality and retail to the automobile industry. However, according to sources, the coronavirus has had such a devastating impact, the rate of new cars being built has fallen to its lowest point in decades. Industry experts say the rate of production decreased by around 33%, approximately a third on last year. The worst rate of production since 1984. There were around 920,928 vehicles built-in 2020, a decline of almost 30% in 2019. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has understandably described the past 12 months as a `dreadful year`, where we have seen the worst output of car production in a generation. It would not be surprising to learn many have blamed the coronavirus outbreak, leading to car plants being forced to close. This, alongside a fall in customer demand for new cars, has resulted in an almost nightmare scenario. The export market decreased by around 29% in 2020, which is ev...

  These days, it seems a growing number of motorists all over the UK are already re-evaluating the type of car they drive and considering taking the greener option. Reportedly, a rising ratio of the public are thinking of swapping their petrol or diesel vehicle for an electric car, and it is a trend which seems to be extending to every corner of the UK. The tide appears to be changing towards environmentally friendly motoring. So much so in fact, that the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has noticed the shift, and the increasing popularity of green, electric cars. Leading to a momentous, possibly game-changing announcement, that the UK government is moving forward with its plan on prohibiting the sale of petrol and diesel-engine cars and vans by a decade. The plan was originally for the UK to prohibit their sale by 2040, but, writing in the Financial Times, Mr Johnson said, the British government will now implement the ban in ten year times, in 2030. However, it has been revea...

  File this story under `how low can you get?!` As if NHS workers on the frontline didn’t have enough to deal with, from low pay and long hours to limited resources, it seems their cars are no longer safe as well. This comes with the news workers at a hospital in Dartford in Kent, in the South East of England, had their vehicles set upon by thieves, looking to steal their catalytic converters. Reportedly, four NHS staff members were robbed while they were working in one day. They only discovered they had been victims of crime after finishing a long shift, caring for patients suffering from Covid-19, at the Darent Valley Hospital. Made all the more difficult by the fact the hospital comes under the jurisdiction of the Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust; said to be one of the worse areas affected with coronavirus. NHS workers, having clocked out for the day, would go to the hospital car park to find their vehicles had been damaged and the converters ripped out, at great expense and inc...

  Some may call it karma, poetic justice, or just a twist of fate! But a street in Bournemouth was recently the site of a bizarre incident, which highlighted the benefits of modern car security. A thief, who broke into a car, found himself trapped in the very vehicle he was trying to steal from. The owner of a BMW, parked outside a house on Strouden Road, could not believe his eyes. When he looked out his window he saw Scott Roy Andrew Hunt robbing his car in the middle of the night. Thief Stuck Inside However, the crime was foiled almost immediately when the owner, using his electronic car key, activated the deadbolt facility. This prevented Hunt from opening the door, effectively trapping him inside, while the owner called the authorities. The thief could do nothing but sit tight and wait for the police to arrive, where they found Hunt still in the car. They searched the suspect, who was found to be in possession of a satellite navigation system, stolen from another car earlier. ...

  The coronavirus crisis has had a profound effect on various industries, costing thousands of jobs. Many businesses have witnessed a major decline as the outbreak causes great financial strain. The car industry has been greatly affected. According to recent information, March 2020 saw a considerable drop in the number of new registrations, indicating how badly the pandemic has impacted the automobile industry. Based on information compiled by the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), car registrations have decreased by more than two-fifths compared to 2019. Normally High Sales in March Under normal circumstances, the month of March is one of the most productive periods of the year for the automobile industry. However, due to the lockdown, motorists are not leaving their homes to purchase or register new vehicles. This has had an inevitable knock-on effect on the car trade. New UK number plates come out in March and September annually which usually causes a spike in r...

You wait all your life to learn to drive, only for your dreams to literally go up in smoke before you had a chance. This is what happened to poor Stacey Boyd from Dundee, who woke up to find her car had burst into flames in the driveway. It was hard to believe, but Miss Boyd, a 32-year-old, learner drive, was shocked to find her Kia Xceed burning up, before she even had a chance to drive it. Stacey had fallen asleep on her sofa, at her home on Strathmore Street, when she was alerted by a neighbour. The hero next door bashed on her front door at around ten o’clock, waking her up to inform Miss Boyd her brand-new car was on fire. She had to stay indoors and watch through the window as firefighters bravely put out the blaze, which experts attributed to an electrical malfunction. Heartbreakingly, Stacy had only just bought the vehicle. It had minimal miles on the clock, and she hadn’t even driven it yet. The car was left a total right off, but thankfully no one was hurt in the ...

There has been talk for a long time of banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars. The plan has been mooted for years, but now appears to be gaining fruition. Especially after it has been announced the ban may come about earlier than previously expected. This comes after the UK government says it plans to prohibit the sale of brand-new diesel, petrol or hybrid vehicles in 2035, instead of five years later, in 2040, as originally intended. It is being brought forward following the evaluation of experts, who believe, if they waited until 2040 to introduce the ban, the United Kingdom could not meet its goal of being virtually carbon-free by 2050. The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new date, and the accelerated timetable, at the launch of the 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference, otherwise known as COP26, due to take place in Glasgow in November. During the launch, held at London’s Science Museum, Boris Johnson also stated there is a chance the ban could e...

If you have been a victim of crime, be it a home invasion or having your vehicle stolen, it can feel like a violation. It can leave an emotional or psychological scar, where you may never feel safe in your home again. You may also feel anger at the thought of someone else driving off with your car and stealing your property. So, the news a gang of car thieves are breaking into people’s houses to steal their vehicles may feel like the ultimate nightmare, or a worst-case scenario. However, this is exactly what’s happening. It seems criminal gangs, car thieves in and around the town of Stockport in Greater Manchester, are breaking into the homes of the owners of high-powered  vehicles to steal their car keys . An act which has frightening become so commonplace, it is now considered the most prevalent form of burglary in the area. According to reports, thieves appear to be focusing on particular makes and models, such as Audis, Volkswagens, Range Rovers, Mercedes, BMWs, and J...

Whether you are an experienced motorist or have just passed your test, the very suggestion of flaunting the driving laws may be abhorrent to you. You would never dream of exceeding the speed limit or talking on your mobile phone while driving. There would never be the possibility of getting behind the wheel while over the alcohol limit. You know if you engage in such activity you are breaking the law. However, many motorists may not be aware some acts they considered harmless may actually be illegal. Do you fall into this category? Is it possible you may have committed a driving offence without even knowing it? Is it the case what you thought was `no big deal` may have violated the traffic laws, and could see you end up in trouble? For instance, did you know it may be against the law to go to sleep in your car when intoxicated, even if the engine isn’t turned on? You may have come home after a night out and, having got out of the taxi, may struggle to find your house keys and de...

Parts of the UK have been looking for ways to reduce the number of diesel cars on the road for quite some time. It has been a controversial, even contentious issue, but many see it as a necessary step in protecting the environment. However, no city in the United Kingdom has actively prohibited the use of diesel cars on its streets, until now. Image Source: Express.co.uk However, it was recently announced Bristol in South West England will be the first city in the UK to take that step. The council voted for a scheme banning diesel cars from the city streets during the day. A major move forward, designed to counteract unlawful rates of air pollution in the area. The scheme is still awaiting government approval but, should it go ahead, it will come into effect in two years’ time. Under the scheme, privately owned diesel cars will be prohibited from a central ban zone. Encompassing a section of the M32, the old city, Spike Island, Redcliffe and the Harbourside, among other are...

They may be the most sought-after cars on the market, on the cutting edge of design and technology. Therefore, it is ironic that many bestselling makes may be in danger of being stolen in no time, due to deficiencies in keyless entry systems. You may be amazed at how quickly thieves can gain entry to some cars, especially considering which types of models seem vulnerable. Keyless entry systems are the widespread popular feature, allowing motorists to unlock their vehicles and start the ignition while having the keys on your person. So, just how long can it take criminals to gain access to vehicles equipped with a keyless entry and start systems? In order to see how long it may take car thieves to get into a car and drive off in it, a noted industry publication recently carried tests on various makes and models, utilising the exact same technology criminals employ, when stealing a car. The anti-theft test performed by security experts had some very interesting results. They took...

It is one of the classic sights in all science fiction cinema, especially when depicting the future. How many times have you seen a flying car sweeping past a building in movies like `Blade Runner`, `The Fifth element` and `Minority Report“ However, one of the stables of futuristic thrillers may be about to become a reality? This comes after the news a Japanese company has tested a flying car. NEC, the electronics firm, demonstrated the vehicle inside a massive cage at a test site in Abiko, a city and Chiba Prefecture; an administrative subdivision, near Tokyo. The flying car is often referred to as an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft or EVtol. During the demonstration, using four propellers, resembling a drone, it managed to rise off the ground for sixty seconds. The test vehicle then repeated the action in what is regarded a successful experiment, but barely scratches the surface of what the government of Japan has in mind for flying cars. An EVtol is categor...

Millions of viewers were hooked to their television screens on Saturday night recently to watch the launch of the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing. They may have wondered who the guests were or marvelled at the skills of the professional dancers but something else may have caught their eye. It seemed, while they were driving to meet the celebrities, two of the dancers, AJ Pritchard and Johannes Radebe, were travelling in an overgrown children’s toy car, which may have looked familiar. Image Credit: bbc.com Some people may have thought it was a mock-up, built by an over industrious BBC prop department, but it was for real. Incredibly, design geniuses have developed a grown-up version of a classic toy car you can actually drive on the roads. Do you remember those fantastic plastic Little Tikes cars, painted red and yellow, enjoyed by millions of children back in the day and still going strong today? They are, for many people, an important part of their childhood, so m...