Monthly Archives: October 2019
You Need to Drive Carefully When You Lease a Car
Car leasing is a good option since you can reduce the amount you have to spend each month. Between car financing and car leasing, the latter is way cheaper. The best part is that you can choose a high-end car model since you’re not going to pay the same amount as when you have to buy it.
The only downside is that you need to return the car to the dealer at the end of personal car lease deals. You can decide how long you want to lease the vehicle. At the end of that lease, the dealer will inspect the vehicle and see if you took care of it.
For a car lease, you need to pay a bond which you will receive back at the end of the lease. You can get the bond in full if you take good care of the car and it doesn’t suffer from any major problems. However, if the dealer thinks that there are serious issues, the car will undergo a repair. The amount will then get deducted from the bond.
Read the terms
It’s important for you to read the terms before signing the lease. You need to know the definition of regular wear-and-tear. You also need to know which damage the dealer will consider as serious and deduct from your bond.
Another thing you need to check is the mileage limit. You can only use the vehicle up to a certain limit. If you go beyond it, you have to pay the cost for every mile that you exceed it by.
Before you sign the lease, you have to agree to these conditions; otherwise, you might violate them and end up with problems when your lease ends.
Regular use
Car leasing is perfect for you if you will only use the car for regular driving. For instance, if you’re only going to drive from home to work and to pick your kids up from school, it’s okay. However, if you need to drive long distances to deliver goods and supplies, a car lease might not be the best choice for you. If your family regularly goes out of town on a trip, you should also reconsider leasing a car.
Always follow traffic rules
You don’t own the car, so you have to be careful while driving it. It’s under your name so you have to treat it like your own. Always follow traffic rules. Avoid speeding. Don’t drive too close to other vehicles. Don’t swerve or overtake other cars if you’re in a hurry. Nothing bad will happen to your car if you follow these rules; otherwise, there’s a huge risk that the vehicle gets damaged.
The amount you pay to the dealer at the beginning of the deal might be substantial. Therefore, you need to get it back in full or at least close to the full amount. Avoid doing anything that could damage the car or might place you at odds with the dealer.
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Rules of the road; How well do you know them?
Learning to drive is one of the most difficult, yet rewarding things that you can do. Being an inexperienced driver and sitting behind the wheel for the first time can be one of the most daunting and frightening things. After hours of stressful driving lessons, theory mock-up tests and the dreaded driving test itself, you’re ready to hit the road solo. There is no better feeling than being able to pick up your keys, get in your car and drive around freely to your hearts content. It doesn’t take long to turn from a shy driver to an extremely confident one who knows the roads back to front and all the rules that go with it… or so you might think.
When it comes to driving, safety should always be the number one priority. Wherever you drive, the basic rules will always be the same.
Follow the speed limits
Speed limits are there for a reason, they are not placed there just as a recommendation. Did you know that inappropriate speed contributes to around 11% of all injury collisions reported to police, 15% of crashes resulting in a serious injury and 24% of collisions that result in a death?
Don’t run a red light
Many drivers will attempt to run through an amber light that is just about to change to red. This can be a dangerous game, however, if the traffic light has a camera attached to it and you’re even just a fraction of a second too late, the camera will flash and you’ll be receive a hefty fine and potentially points on your license – which is never good for car insurance renewals!
Keep a safe following distance
You must drive a safe distance behind a vehicle travelling in front of you. This will give you enough time to react and break safely if the driver in front has to break suddenly for any reason. Following another vehicle too closely is known as tailgating, which is a primary reason for rear end crashes. It’s recommended to keep a 3 second distance between you and the car in front of you in dry conditions, 4 seconds for wet conditions!
Always wear a seatbelt
Do you always wear your seatbelt? Well, you should. Even if you are only travelling a short distance and think you have no chance of crashing. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Seatbelts are pivotal to keeping you safe on the road; they dramatically reduce the chance of death and serious injury. Front seat passengers and drivers who wear their seatbelts reduce the risk of death by 45% and cut the risk of serious injury by 50%. People not wearing a seatbelt are 30 TIMES more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash. So before you turn on that ignition, strap up!
To keep up with safety standards, the rules of the road are always changing in order to deliver the safest possible experience for drivers, passengers and pedestrians. With all these constant changes it can be overwhelming to stay on top of them all. There may be some situations where you’re not even aware that you’re breaking the law!
Did you know that it could be our four legged furry friends that could land you in the dog dirt? You may often see dogs hanging out the window, tongues out and enjoying life whilst they cruise down the road with their owners. However, there is a correct way you should be driving with your dog in the car and you could be breaking the law if you choose to ignore these rules. Your dog should be retrained in the car so they are not to cause a distraction when you are driving. With this being put into action the dog should be harnessed in a way that will not cause injury to you or him in case you were to come to a sudden stop. Failure to comply could land you a hefty £5000 fine. Tyre Pros have published a handy article of all the dos and don’ts of the road that involve your dog that are worth checking out!
Top distractions to avoid when driving
When driving it’s important that you give all your attention to the road, as being distracted is not only dangerous for you and your passengers but other drivers too, potentially leading to road accidents. Even being distracted for a few split seconds can have catastrophic consequences because your reaction time isn’t as quick as it would be if you were paying full attention. Kwik Fit has created a #DrivenToDistraction game where you can test your driving knowledge against your reaction time. Here are some of the top distractions you should try to avoid when driving.
Mobile phone
In the UK it’s illegal to hold a mobile phone when driving and being caught behind the wheel doing so can land you with a £200 fine and 6 points on your license. If you need to use your phone when driving you must have hands-free access such as a Bluetooth headset, voice command or a dashboard holder. The only time you can use a hand-held phone is when you are parked safely or if it’s an emergency and you need to call 999. While you may think that glancing at your phone quickly while you’re stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic won’t do much harm, it can affect your concentration levels and you need to be paying full attention at all times.
Being sleep deprived
One fifth of road accidents are caused by tiredness and drivers falling asleep at the wheel. If you find yourself getting tired whilst driving, you should stop in a safe place and take a break. It’s recommended to take a 15-20 minute nap and to drink two cups of coffee or a caffeinated drink. Avoid having a heavy meal or exercising before driving as these can have an added affect and if you are prescribed medication, check for any side effects that may cause drowsiness. Although it’s not against the law to drive when you’re tired, you are putting yourself and others at risk and increasing the chances of a road collision.
Loud music
Driving while playing your music loudly can result in you receiving a fine or penalty points as it’s classed as driving without due care and attention. Playing your music at a high volume could stop you from hearing the sirens of emergency vehicles that may be approaching, as well as other users on the road and pedestrians. Loud music can reduce the driver’s attention, with evidence suggesting that the louder and more upbeat it is, the more it increases driver error and aggressive driving. Try to keep the volume of your music to a standard.
Disruptive passengers
Passengers can be a major distraction for drivers, especially children. If a child is upset and crying in the back of the car this can be very distracting for parents, possibly causing them to turn around and take their eyes off the road. Even having a conversation with a passenger can cause a driver to avert their attention and studies have shown that male drivers in the presence of peers are likely to be more distracted.
Many drivers experience these distractions at some point, which is why it’s vital that you should be fully alert and paying full attention to the road ahead and your surroundings all the time.