Category: News

Pothole-related breakdowns reached a five-year high in 2023, new figures show.

The AA said it received 632,000 call outs to vehicles damaged by road defects last year.

That is a 16% increase compared with the previous 12 months, and is the most since 666,000 in 2018 when many roads were damaged by prolonged extreme cold weather from the so-called Beast from the East.

Common vehicle problems caused by potholes include punctures, distorted wheels, damaged shock absorbers and broken suspension springs.

Potholes are often formed when water enters cracks in the road surface, then freezes and expands.

The AA is part of a new coalition named the Pothole Partnership which marked National Pothole Day on Monday by sending a five-point plan to central and local government officials to press the case for more effective road repairs.

This includes making permanent repairs rather than using temporary patches, accelerating the distribution of pothole-repair funding, and full transparency from local authorities on their progress in tackling backlogs of road repair.

Other members are the National Motorcyclists Council, British Cycling, IAM RoadSmart, the British Motorcyclists Federation and pothole repair machine manufacturer JCB.

AA president Edmund King said: “Last year, AA patrols dealt with more than 600,000 pothole-related incidents which on a national scale will have cost drivers almost half a billion pounds.

“Currently, we often have a vicious circle of: pothole formed; damage caused; pothole patched; pothole reappears with more damage caused. What we need are more permanent repairs.”

The RAC announced it has joined forces with technology company Metricell to encourage drivers to use a new mobile app named Stan to automatically collect data on road conditions via smartphone cameras.

Metricell will share the information it receives with highways authorities.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Potholes are so much more than an irritation – they are a very serious danger to all road users which we fear will only get worse as the weather gets colder during these next few months.

“To prevent water damaging the roads in these winter months when it freezes and expands, we implore local highways authorities to completely resurface those in the worst condition and carry out more surface dressing between April and September on roads that are starting to deteriorate.”

In November, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to tackle “the scourge of potholes” with an extra £8.3 billion of funding over 11 years for local roads maintenance in England using money saved by scrapping HS2 north of Birmingham.

A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson said this “decisive action” is “the biggest ever funding increase for local road improvements and enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of roads across the country”.

Darren Rodwell, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: “Councils share the concerns of all road users with the state of our roads and are doing all they can to tackle the £14 billion backlog of road repairs, including learning from and adopting innovative techniques.

“Greater, long-term and year-on-year consistency of funding for the maintenance of all parts of our highways will help them achieve this.”

The DfT launched a consultation on Monday to crackdown on utility companies letting roadworks overrun in England, which it believes could cut congestion and generate an additional £100 million over 10 years to resurface roads.

The proposed measures include extending the current £10,000 per day fines for overrunning street works from non-bank holiday weekdays only to include weekends and bank holidays.

There is also a plan to double fines from £500 to a maximum of £1,000 for companies who breach the conditions of a project, such as working without a permit.

The consultation is part of the Government’s programme to support people to use their cars.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “After investing an extra £8.3 billion to resurface roads across England – the largest ever increase in funding for local road improvements – this Government continues to back drivers with these new measures from our Plan for Drivers.

“Our new measures seek to free up our roads from overrunning street works, cut down traffic jams and generate up to £100 million extra to resurface roads up and down the country.”

The government has announced new measures that aim to tackle street works that overrun into weekends and bank holidays.

A consultation has been launched today as part of the government’s ‘plan for drivers’, which aims to reduce the knock-on effects of delayed street works on traffic and travel times.

While utility companies can currently be fined £10,000 per day for overrunning works on weekdays, it doesn’t apply to the weekend and bank holidays. The government is hoping to change this as a ‘deterrent for working on the busiest days for road travel’.

The government also hopes to redirect ‘at least 50 per cent’ of the fines and ‘lane rental’ fees that authorities can charge companies to be used to improve the roads and repair potholes. It says that the measures could add up to an extra £100m over 10 years to improve road surfaces while also cutting congestion and journey times.

Roads Minister Guy Opperman said: “Being stuck in traffic is infuriating for drivers. Too often traffic jams are caused by overrunning street works.

“This Government is backing drivers, with a robust approach to utility companies and others, who dig up our streets. We will seek to massively increase fines for companies that breach conditions and fine works that overrun into weekends and bank holidays while making the rental for such works help generate up to an extra £100 million to improve local roads.”

Though the government said it’s ‘essential’ that utility companies can carry out vital works, it says that the street works carried out in England 2022/23 cost the economy ‘around £4bn’ in disruption to journeys.

The announcement coincides with National Pothole Day, with the RAC announcing on the same day that its patrols attended 30,000 pothole-related breakdowns in 2023. These included faults relating to broken suspension components and distorted wheels, and represented a 33 per cent increase on the previous year.

Last year proved to be a challenge for the electric car market, with the share of new EV registrations falling year-on-year.

Soaring electricity costs and the steep initial cost of new EVs meant private sales dropped quite significantly, and the news wasn’t all that much better for used models. According to Auto Trader, all of the top 10 used cars that dropped in price the most in December were EVs.

There are signs of things improving, though, with four of the five fastest-selling cars on Auto Trader in January being electric, with vehicles of this fuel type selling faster than petrol and diesel counterparts as a whole. It also means there are some terrific deals available on used EVs at the moment. We’ve picked out the best bargains available for a range of budgets.

Up to £5,000 – Nissan Leaf

If you think electric cars have to be expensive, the Nissan Leaf will prove otherwise. It was the first mass-market EV back in 2011 and now represents exceptional value, with early examples available from as little as £3,500.

For this low price, you’ll be looking at a Leaf with the smallest 24kWh battery, which will only allow for a range of around 70 miles. But if you only drive locally and can charge at home, it offers the potential to significantly lower your running costs.

Up to £7,500 – Renault Zoe

The Renault Zoe is another early electric car, being introduced in 2013, with plenty of used examples now available for within this £7,500 budget. Most of them will use the smaller 22kWh battery, however, docking the range to only around 75 miles. You should also be aware that some used Zoes are subject to a battery leasing scheme where you pay so much to Renault a month to ensure the battery is in good health. Ideally, find one with an ‘owned’ battery that is exempt from the lease.

But the Zoe is otherwise a stylish, well-equipped EV that is easy to drive and works well around towns and cities.

Up to £10,000 – BMW i3

Increase your budget a bit more and you could be behind the wheel of a far more premium EV – the BMW i3. Introduced in 2013, this electric hatchback continues to look the part with a design that hasn’t aged at all in the decade since.

It’s not the most practical EV, and one at this price will come with the smaller 22kWh battery that can only travel around 70 miles on a charge. But the i3 is a cool electric car that offers great quality and is likely to bring minimal depreciation.

Up to £12,500 – Vauxhall Corsa Electric

If you want an EV that is familiar to drive and look at, we highly recommend the Vauxhall Corsa Electric. Introduced in 2020, it brings the same sleek design as petrol versions of this supermini, along with generous equipment levels and a real-world range of around 175 miles.

While a new electric Corsa will set you back more than £30,000, steep depreciation means you can now pick up a three-year-old example for around £12,000 – similar to what a petrol automatic model of the same age would cost.

Up to £15,000 – MG5

MG has established itself as a key player in the electric car market, and its EVs are best known for one thing – their value for money. That’s especially true of the MG5 estate car, as you’re able to pick up a two-year-old example for just £14,000.

The MG5 isn’t the most stylish electric car, but brings a spacious interior and generous equipment levels, while you’ll have the remainder of MG’s seven-year warranty too. Expect a real-world range of around 180 miles.

Up to £20,000 – Tesla Model 3

Tesla continues to be the ‘go-to’ electric car company, with its tech-laden vehicles continuing to be some of the most popular cars around. They’re increasingly becoming more affordable too, especially the Model 3 saloon, introduced in 2019.

While a new example will set you back £40,000, used Model 3s can now be had for less than half of that. With its modern interior, strong performance and a real-world range of around 215 miles (even on the cheapest versions), it’s one of the best used EVs you can buy.

Up to £25,000 – Jaguar I-Pace

The Jaguar I-Pace is an EV that’s often wrongly overlooked. It was one of the first electric SUVs and even nearly six years after its introduction, the design is still modern inside and out and it’s among one of the best cars in its class to drive.

It remains on sale largely unchanged from when it first launched, and though a new I-Pace would set you back £70,000, you’re now able to pick up a low-mileage, high-spec example for well under £25,000. A real-world range of around 235 miles is excellent, too.

Nissan has unveiled the Ariya Nismo as its first road-going electric performance car.

Unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon, it’s the first time Nissan’s performance arm Nismo has turned its attention to electric cars for the road. The Ariya was introduced in Europe in 2022, with this Nismo model being based on the standard e-4orce four-wheel-drive model.

It’s the first Nismo-baged SUV since the Juke, and gets a range of performance and visual changes to set it apart from regular models.

Changes to the electric motor increase peak power by around 10 per cent to 429bhp and 600Nm of torque, Though there’s no word on performance, a 0-60mph time of less than four seconds is expected.

Nissan has also fitted a special ‘Nismo’ driving mode that maximises responsiveness and produces a unique sound that’s said to be ‘evocative’ of the firm’s electric Formula E racing cars. The firm also says each chassis component has received ‘special tuning’. Large 20-inch alloy wheels with specific tyres are also fitted, which Nissan says offer ‘superior stability’ and improved cornering ability.

The Ariya Nismo also gets a sportier look to go with it, with the performance arm’s trademark dark red colour being used across lower areas of the vehicle. There are also more pronounced bumpers and a rear spoiler lip that sits above the light bar.

The red detailing extends to the Ariya Nismo’s interior, while also coming with suede door cards and sports seats.

Nissan says it will launch the Ariya Nismo in Japan in the spring, though there’s no word on when or if the sporty electric SUV will be introduced to Europe.

Sainsbury’s has announced that it has set up its own electric car charging company, and aims to have chargers installed at more than 100 locations by the end of 2024.

Known as Smart Charge, Sainsbury’s is the first UK supermarket to launch its own brand chargers, rather than relying on partnerships with external companies. Tesco and Lidl, for example, use Pod Point chargers at their stores, with Morrisons and Waitrose having similar deals with external companies.

Sainsbury’s says it will be installing ultra-rapid EV chargers in the car parks of its stores, which can rapidly top up electric cars at up to 300kW. This is the quickest form of charging and means that many electric cars can be topped up sufficiently in around half an hour.

The supermarket says it will roll out the chargers at ‘more than 100 stores’ by the end of 2024, which will feature 750 separate charging bays. Sainsbury’s says this will put it in the ‘top five providers of ultra-rapid charging in the UK’.

A study by Sainsbury’s of 500 electric car users found that 80 per cent admit to ‘avoiding’ longer journeys because of not wanting to charge at public units, with the company believing its Smart Charge company ‘represents a game-changer’.

Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s director of property, procurement and EV ventures, said: “With our new network of easy-to-use and reliable charging points conveniently located in our supermarkets, Smart Charge will make a real difference to EV drivers in the UK.

“As one of the few providers to be focusing exclusively on cutting-edge ultra-rapid 150kW+chargers, customers can be in and out in as little as half an hour and avoid waiting longer with less powerful alternatives.”

Sainsbury’s says that its electric car chargers are powered by the ‘same 100 per cent renewable electricity’ as the rest of its business. The first 20 charging hubs have already been installed in locations such as Richmond, West London, Harrogate and Newport.

According to chargepoint mapping service Zap-Map, at the end of 2023 there were almost 54,000 electric car chargers at 31,000 locations, with this representing a 45 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

Just days after Kia revealed its first purpose-built vehicles (PBVs) as part of its new commercial vehicle division, the firm already has its first major customer – the ride-hailing app Uber.

Kia announced a range of new vans and passenger-carrying models at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas as part of its new modular platform, with the firm now signing a memorandum of understanding with Uber.

While Kia is also targeting more conventional vans, the firm says that the ‘mobility market’ will play an important role in its new business unit and that the partnership with Uber will make sure that its PBVs are ‘optimised for drivers and fleets’.

Kia says the partnership will help it ‘identify optimal specifications’ for the vehicles, and work out the technologies and services best suited to the ride-hailing market. Specific PBVs may also be built purely for the needs of Uber’s drivers.

The firms will also explore different kinds of subscription services and ownership models, including offering a battery leasing scheme to help reduce the initial cost of buying the vehicle.

Susan Anderson, global head of business development at Uber said: “Drivers on the Uber platform are already EV early adopters, going electric six to seven times faster than the general population in the US and Europe.

“That’s great for all of us because when rideshare drivers go electric, communities see three to four times the emissions benefits compared with an average driver making the switch.

“By teaming up with Kia and providing our insights, we aim to broaden the appeal and lower the cost of electric vehicles, making them a more natural choice for more drivers.”

At CES Kia revealed five concept vehicles of various shapes and sizes. The mid-size PV5 van, shown in concept guise, is set to enter production in 2025 and will make up the first phase of the firm’s commercial vehicle division.

The electric i4 M50 was BMW M’s most popular car during 2023.

It comes as the performance arm of BMW’s sales passed 200,000 vehicles in one year for the first time as a number of new models came on stream. It represented a 14.3 per cent increase compared with the previous year, too.

The USA remained the key market for BMW M, with Germany coming in second place and followed by the UK in third.

Sylvia Neubauer, vice president of customer, brand and sales at BMW M, said: “With the historic record of more than 200,000 vehicles delivered, we have reached a milestone in the 2023 financial year. The impressive demand is a great confirmation that we are hitting the nerve of the times with our diverse product portfolio.”

BMW M also added to its electric line-up during 2023, with models such as the i5 M60 xDrive and i7 M70 xDrive both bringing more performance than the standard models upon which they are based. The range is topped by the i7 M70 xDrive, which is the most powerful electric model ever produced by BMW M.

Franciscus van Meel, chairman of the board of management of BMW M, said: “The financial year 2023 was characterized both by our highly successful portfolio of highly emotional combustion engine vehicles and by our ongoing electrification offensive with two further all-electric performance models and our first electrified high-performance car, the BMW XM.”

BMW M continues to offer a range of petrol-powered models, including the M2, M3 saloon, M3 Touring and the M4 Coupe.

There are plenty of motoring rules that drivers in the UK are fully aware of. Speed limits, keeping to the left-hand side of the road and making sure everyone in a car wears a seatbelt are just three of the commonly known rules that we all abide by as motorists.

But there are plenty of rules out there which aren’t all that well known, but which could still land you in a sticky situation if you don’t follow them. Let’s take a look.

Flashing your lights at other road users to alert them to a speed camera

Alerting other motorists about a speed camera that they’re about to drive up to – or a stationary police vehicle – can quickly land you in hot water if you’re caught. Though it’s often seen as a friendly act of motoring good nature, rule 110 of the Highway Code states: “Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users.”

In addition, section 89 (2) of the Police Act 1996 says: “The offence of obstructing a police officer is committed when a person wilfully obstructs: a constable in the execution of his duty, or. a person assisting a constable in the execution of the constable’s duty.”. As a result, if caught, you could be hit with a £1,000 fine.

Using a smartwatch at the wheel

Laws upon the use of devices while in control of a vehicle were tightened up recently and, though it might not be immediately apparent, that includes the use of a smartwatch. The Highway Code states that “it’s illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send or receive data, while driving or riding a motorcycle.” This does exclude when going through a drive-thru restaurant, however, so you can still use your smartwatch to make payments here.

If you’re caught using a smartwatch while at the wheel, you could face six penalty points and a fine of up to £200. As always, only operate a device when safely parked with the engine off.

Dogs not being ‘suitably restrained’ in the car

Thousands of drivers in the UK travel with their dog – or dogs – in the car, but a rule within the Highway Code means that you need to think about how you drive with pooch aboard. Rule 57 of the Highway Code says: “When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly.”

Dogs need to be with a ‘seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard’ and while breaking the Highway Code doesn’t bring a penalty in itself, you could be fined up to £5,000 if you’re found to have been driving while distracted by your pet. More serious instances could lead to a court appearance, too.

Children travelling in a taxi or private-hire vehicle

It’s well known that children have to ride in a car with a proper car seat and, in most cases, all children under three have to be in a child seat at all times. There are some exceptions, however.

The Highway Code states that if a driver of a taxi or minicab doesn’t provide a correct child seat, children can travel without one – though they need to travel in the rear seat. For children over three, they’ll need to wear an adult seat belt though those under three won’t be required to wear an adult belt.

Driving too slowly

We’re all aware of the penalties for exceeding the speed limit, but there are potential issues when travelling too slowly, too. Though there is no pre-defined minimum speed limit, driving too slowly and causing danger to other road users in the process could see you hit with a ‘driving without due care and attention’ fine of up to £200 and three penalty points.

However, some police might offer a driving improvement course instead of a fine and points, though this is up to the discretion of the officer at the time.

A Morgan first owned by former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond is now being auctioned.

Hammond ordered the Morgan Roadster from new and it was first registered in May 2005, with the car now being sold with its original sales invoice. Painted in a bespoke colour combination comprising a Porsche silver over a Jaguar grey, the car also comes with a painted hardtop roof. It rides on black 16-inch alloy wheels, which have been recently refurbished.

The interior is trimmed in a bright red Muirhead leather with Mulberry piping and contrasting wood trim in the dashboard – a Morgan staple.

The Morgan Roadster was introduced in 2004 to replace the Plus 8 and this example has now covered 28,133 miles. It’s said to be accompanied by a full service history.

Richard Hammond is known for his love of Morgans, having owned several models from the carmaker, based in Malvern, Worcestershire, over the years. One of Hammond’s most famous purchases from the firm was a 2008 Morgan Aeromax – a sleek GT car that is arguably the most modern-looking car the firm has produced.

Richard Hammond is best known for presenting Top Gear between 2002 and 2015 alongside Jeremy Clarkson and James May. The trio then moved to Amazon Prime to launch The Grand Tour, though it was announced that the last episodes of the show with the three presenters had been filmed in November 2023.

Hammond’s former Morgan Roadster is currently being auctioned on the online platform Collecting Cars. At the time of writing, the current bid was £21,000, with the auction ending on January 12.

More than four out of five (85%) drivers affected by headlight glare say the problem is getting worse, a survey suggests.

The RAC, which commissioned the poll, called on the Government to fund an independent study into the issue.

It believes headlights appear brighter on modern cars because their use of LED rather than traditional halogen bulbs creates a more intense and focused beam, which improves a driver’s view but can be to the detriment of other road users.

Other potential factors include badly aligned headlights and the increase in the number of cars that sit higher on the road, such as SUVs.

The survey of 2,000 UK drivers suggested 89% think some car headlights are too bright.

Two-thirds (67%) of those affected by headlight glare say being dazzled forces them to slow down considerably until they can see clearly again, while 64% believe some headlights are so bright they risk causing accidents.

One in seven (14%) drivers aged 65 and over said the issue is so bad they avoid driving at night.

Government figures show that since 2013 there has been an average of 280 collisions on Britain’s roads every year where dazzling headlights were a contributory factor.

Of these, six a year involved someone losing their life.

The RAC has raised the issue of headlight glare with the Department for Transport (DfT) and has been working with Labour peer Baroness Hayter to seek action.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Our figures suggest drivers are more concerned than ever about headlight glare, with a huge proportion wanting to see something done about it.

“We urgently need the Government to take a closer look at the issue, ideally by commissioning an independent study to understand what’s causing an increase in reports of dazzling and, most importantly, what can be done to keep drivers safe.

“With spring still a long way off, there’s a good chance many people will do most of their driving in darkness over the next few months and, according to our research, that means an awful lot of drivers will experience the discomfort and even danger that comes from being dazzled by headlights.”

Mike Bowen, director of knowledge and research at the College of Optometrists, said: “The results from this research by the RAC are helpful to inform our understanding of how changes in vehicle headlight technologies may be affecting both the functional vision of young and older drivers – and their visual comfort – when driving at night.

“We urge the Government to commission more technical and clinical research to have a better understanding of this issue and what should be done to ease the effects of dazzling headlights.”

Baroness Hayter said: “The RAC has demonstrated that some car headlights can dazzle, causing a danger for oncoming drivers. We know drivers in other countries share this concern.

“So, Government should take action now to be on the side of road safety.”

Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, said: “Drivers are increasingly telling us they are concerned by modern headlights and some are now even limiting the amount of time they spend driving during darkness to avoid glare.

“Being dazzled by a headlight has a worrying impact on road safety and we need policymakers to take this matter seriously.”

A DfT spokesperson said: “We take safety on our roads extremely seriously and last year we strengthened requirements for headlamps to reduce glare, following advice from an international expert group.

“All headlights must adhere to strict technical standards in order for vehicles to be approved for our roads.”

– The survey of 2,000 UK drivers was conducted by research company Online95 in December.