Motoring

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Motoring News

Find out what's happening in the motoring world with our regular roundup

Go green with your breakdown cover
Now you can ease your conscience about the damage your car may be causing the environment by buying the unique 'green' breakdown cover from the Environmental Transport Association (ETA). Driving an ordinary saloon car for 8,000 miles over a year produces about 2.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide - that's the equivalent of cutting down 12 mature trees. The 'carbon-neutral cover' is committed to neutralising or offsetting the carbon dioxide emissions of members' cars by funding projects such as planting trees or providing energy saving light bulbs to small communities in the developing world. The service has a record of fixing 80 per cent of breakdowns by the roadside with an average waiting time of just 40 minutes. This means that you won't be compromising your safety or your schedules by choosing this alternative breakdown service. For more information: visit the Environmental Transport Association

Bye bye cowboys?
If you're fed up of being greeting at the garage by a mechanic sucking his teeth and telling you it's going to cost you, you might be interested in a new service being offered by the leading women's insurer Diamond. Tired of their customers being ripped off by dishonest garages, Diamond has put together a package called the National Service Network (NSN). For just £1 a month, Diamond's existing and new customers have access to a centrally controlled network of over 600 independent garages in the UK and Northern Ireland. Participating garages have to meet exacting standards and are constantly monitored and assessed. According to Diamond's managing director, Sian Lewis, the package makes for hassle-free repairs. 'So that our customers can relax and not worry, prices are set by the Network rather than individual garages. So as well as the highest standards of workmanship, quality and service, you can carry on in the knowledge that you will only have to pay for the work that really needs to be done.' And if something goes wrong afterwards, the work is covered by a 12-month parts and labour warranty, and NSN will book your car into a garage to have the problem fixed. Find out more at Diamond

'Be-were' on the roads
Keeping children safe on the roads is always harder in winter as it gets dark earlier. This year Wallace and Gromit are lending their support to the government's THINK! road safety campaign reminding children to stay visible when out and about in the dark. Fresh from their big screen adventure - The Curse of the Were-rabbit - Wallace and Gromit are urging children to wear fluorescent clothes by day and reflective jackets at night. Encourage your kids to follow their advice and stay safe on the roads this winter.

Blind spots?
Being able to see clearly might seem an obvious prerequisite for driving, but a new survey by www.motorinsurance.co.uk reveals that as many as 16 million UK drivers are risking accidents by failing to get their eyesight checked regularly. Legally, drivers must be able to read a number plate from a distance of 20.5 metres, or if it's a new style number plate from 20 metres. If you have to wear glasses or contact lenses to do this, then you must wear them every time you drive. The Royal National Institute of the Blind advocates that you have a sight test every two years whether you need glasses or not. But almost 20 per cent of those surveyed had not had a sight test in the last two years, while a further 15 per cent had not been to an optician for more than five years. More worryingly still, six per cent of the survey admitted that they had never had a professional eye test. Since drivers whose eyesight falls below the required legal standards are risking accidents and endangering themselves and other road users, make an appointment to have yours tested.

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