Welcome to Total Drive Industry Round-Up, the place for any need-to-know industry news. Our updates are aimed directly at you, the driving instructors of Britain, and are full of all the things you should know. Here’s what has been going on recently:
The cheapest and most expensive cars to learn to drive in
Moneybarn, a vehicle finance company, have conducted their own research to find the cheapest car for learners to buy.
Which vehicles are the cheapest when you’re a new driver? Which ones should you definitely avoid?
To find out, the company compared the 20 most popular vehicles on the following factors:
Average monthly car finance repayments
Average insurance premium
Estimated annual fuel cost (based on an annual mileage of 6,800 miles)
Average cost of driving lessons
Cost to take theory test
Cost to take driving test
The cheapest cars for learner drivers
Top three:
1. Vauxhall Corsa: £6,411 annual cost
Taking all of the costs into account, the Vauxhall Corsa comes out as the cheapest car for learner drivers, at an annual cost of £6,411. The Corsa was by far the cheapest vehicle when it came to finance repayments and is considered a good learner car that’s often used by driving instructors.
2. Renault Clio: £6,999 annual cost
The Renault Clio takes second place, coming in at just under £7,000 for the first year. The Clio was one of the cheapest cars to insure and buy and is a popular car amongst learner drivers.
3. Vauxhall Astra: £7,039 annual cost
Another hatchback takes third place, with the annual cost to learn in a Vauxhall Astra coming in at £7,039. The Astra is another solid option for those learning to drive, as a capable, comfortable and efficient all-rounder.
View the full list below:
Credit Driving Instructors Association
Car manufacturers receive electric car mandate
In order to help meet net-zero carbon targets, the Government will impose a mandate on car manufacturers for a certain proportion of cars they sell to be zero-emission.
The exact proportion is still yet to be announced. The Department for Transport are intending to hold a consultation on the matter, but the aim is to “improve consumer choice” and help deliver on the commitment to end the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and hybrid sales by 2035.
The announcement comes as part of the publication of the Government’s net-zero strategy, which also includes £620million of additional funding for the plug-in car grant and EV charging infrastructure, particularly the on-street residential chargepoint scheme.
The UK automotive sector also gained a further £350 million to help support it in electrifying its vehicles and supply chains.
Credit Driving Instructors Association
UK motorists claim living without a car would be a struggle
According to the RAC, more than eight in every 10 UK motorists say they’d struggle to get by without a car.
The motoring organisation’s study found 82 percent of respondents would be lost without their wheels – meaning more Brits are dependent on their vehicles than ever before.
The RAC’s Report on Motoring, which is an annual study of British driver’s views and concerns, revealed the findings.
The survey showed that while almost half the UK’s drivers (49 percent) commuted five days a week before the pandemic, just 32 percent expected to do so in the future.
At the same time, just three in 10 drivers (30 percent) expect to commute between one and four days a week after the pandemic, with the average number of commuting days standing at three per week, down from four before the coronavirus hit.
One in five (19 percent) expect to give up the commute altogether, referring to work from home instead.
In contrast, just seven percent of drivers said they worked from home prior to the pandemic. 12 percent of drivers who used to commute via bus, train or on foot, think they will continue to do so in the future.
The study revealed that 82 percent said they would struggle without a car, which is the highest proportion recorded by the RAC since 2006. That’s also an increase from 79 percent last year and 74 percent in 2019, indicating that drivers are becoming more dependent on their vehicles.
Credit Driving Instructors Association
£1000 fine risk for drivers if they don’t clean winter debris off windscreens
Drivers could face a £1,000 fine if they fail to keep their windscreen, side and rear windows clear during winter.
You also risk disqualification and three points on your license.
Regulation 30 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 requires all glass or transparent material fitted to be ‘maintained in such condition that it does not obscure the vision of the driver while the vehicle is being driven on a road’.
Furthermore, Section 6 of the Highway Code states that windscreens and windows must be kept clean and free from obstructions to vision.
To help, the automotive dealership Peter Vardy has revealed five hazards to be aware of that can hinder your view of the road as we head into winter.
Claire Rogan at Peter Vardy said: “Drivers have a legal responsibility to ensure their vehicle is in a roadworthy condition and that includes cleaning it.”
Fallen Leaves
If you have no choice other than to park under a tree, when you return to your car make sure to clear any leafy debris and twigs from your windows so they don’t block your vision when you drive.
If a dirty windscreen was found to be the reason for a crash, you would be found at fault and could refuse to payout.
- Fallen Leaves
- Snow
- Steamed Windows
- Low Sun
- Ice
Failing to de-ice your windscreen properly is illegal, so use a purpose-made ice scraper. You can also use a solution of water and rubbing alcohol to cut through the ice, making it easier to clear quickly.
Credit In Your Area
What does the Autumn budget 2021 mean for UK drivers?
UK chancellor Rishi Sunak has revealed the government’s 2021 Autumn budget. As well as revised tax rates across the hospitality, leisure and retail sectors, it confirms that fuel duty will remain at the same rate as in recent years.
Fuel duty was expected to rise by 2.8p per litre in today’s budget – up from the current 57.95 pence-per-litre rate.
Reportedly, the planned increase was scrapped in light of the recent UK fuel supply shortage that saw average petrol prices soar to a record average of 142.94 pence per litre.
The prickly issue of fuel duty and Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax) is likely to become a hot topic in the coming years as more and more drivers make the switch to electric cars.
These vehicles don’t require petrol or diesel to run, meaning EV drivers are insulated from any increases in fuel duty.
Already, the government is expecting to receive around £20.9 billion from fuel duty in the 2020-2021 financial year – significantly less than the £27 billion it raked in during the 2019-2020 financial year. Although, reduced use of personal vehicles as a result of Coronavirus lockdown restrictions will also have played a part in this shortfall.
Additionally, the increasing popularity of electric cars and zero-emissions vehicles (which are currently exempt from road tax) means the government may have to investigate alternative means of taxing drivers.
The recently introduced London Ultra-Low Emissions Zone charge (which requires drivers of older, more polluting cars to pay a charge to drive within London’s North- and South-Circular roads) is one model that may be rolled out to other UK cities.
There have been suggestions that pay-by-mile schemes could be introduced as part of future budgets, but it appears the government is committed to encouraging drivers to switch to electric vehicles.
It’s also pledged to invest a further £620 million in the Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG) over the coming years.
Credit Car Wow
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