After an extended holiday period, RAC predicts that 4 January 2010 will be one of the busiest days in 2010 for vehicle breakdowns as millions of motorists return to work.

The severe weather in the eight days prior to Christmas led to RAC attending almost 80,000 breakdowns. Since then many motorists have not used their cars and, given the ongoing wintry weather conditions, a breakdown is now far more likely.

David Hawes, RAC regional manager, comments: “The combination of a long break and very cold or damp weather can be a recipe for disaster. A car’s electrical system has to work a lot harder at this time of year as drivers are more likely to use their lights, heated windows as well as the heater fan. The starter motor also has to work harder to start the engine on these cold mornings making a battery failure more likely.”

RAC is urging motorists to do some basic preparations, such as simply turning over the car engine as well as allowing extra time, to ensure they’re not caught out on 4 January.

To help motorists avoid a breakdown, RAC has put together the following tips:

Don’t leave your vehicle un-used for the whole period between Christmas and New Year. It’s a good idea to start the engine to ensure everything is working as it should be and allow the engine to reach operating temperatures – taking care that it doesn’t overheat

If you have a garage, use it, or try to leave your vehicle undercover

Check oil and water levels. Ensure they are topped up correctly. Pay particular attention to the anti-freeze content of the cooling system. Check your owner’s handbook for information on the recommended anti freeze or consult your local dealer

In cold weather avoid frozen locks by using lock de-icer

Avoid queues at petrol stations by filling up the tank before the morning you go back to work

If the weather is icy, use a windscreen scraper or a de-icer to remove all the frost from your vehicle before setting off. Don’t use hot water from a kettle, as this may crack the windscreen. Also use a windscreen additive to prevent washer bottle freezing and ensure clear vision of the road

Check the battery connections ensuring that they are tight and free from any corrosion

Have your battery and charging system checked before it is too late

Wrap up warm and take a blanket, waterproof clothing, sensible footwear and a fully charged mobile phone in case of breakdown

If travelling a long distance, allow extra time for your journey, ensure you have enough fuel for the journey as not all fuel stations will be open over the festive period. Let friends and relatives know of your expected journey routes and times of arrival if travelling in remote areas

In case of a breakdown, visit www.rac.co.uk

Notes to editors

About RAC

With around seven million members, RAC is one of the UK’s most progressive motoring organisations, providing services for both private and business motorists. Whether it’s roadside assistance, insurance, vehicle inspections and checks, legal services or up-to-the-minute traffic and travel information – RAC is able to meet motorists’ needs.

RAC is committed to providing the very highest levels of service to its members and was the top named service organisation in the July 2009 UK Customer Satisfaction Index from the Institute of Customer Service.

Aviva bought RAC in May 2005. The acquisition brings together RAC’s powerful brand and customer base with the expertise and leading position in motor insurance of Aviva UK Insurance. Aviva is the UK’s largest insurer with a market share of around 15 per cent.

RAC is part of Aviva, the world’s fifth largest insurance group which operates in 28 countries.

RAC’s news releases and a selection of images are available from the internet press centre at www.rac.co.uk/press-centre/

Tags: Car Breakdown, Car Maintenance, Cars, RAC

You drive off the ferry, full of love for your European cousins, desperate to enjoy that once a year driving in France experience, only to be cut up by your first Clio, and you’ll soon be swearing like a trooper and gesturing in such a fashion that Entente Cordiale had drained right out of your car.

Okay, lets get one thing straight right away. If you’re heading off across the Channel, then get car breakdown cover in France. Don’t risk it. The cost of taking out good cover will not only give you peace of mind, but it could also save you a fortune.

But back to the French roads. The French do generally give a wider berth to cars with foreign number plates. It’s almost as if they know the average foreign driver does not have a steel stomach and a brain which seems to weigh up dangers with a different mathematical formula than most.

Take the average French driver along one of their ‘A’ roads. Not a motorway, or a dual-carriageway, but a straightforward road that links say two towns, with a couple of sleepy villages in between.

Firstly, the speed limit of 90 kilometres per hour (kph) – that’s 56 mph in old money, note some 4 mph slower than the national British speed limit) is only there so that some French people are employed making, erecting and maintaining speed signs. After that, it has no purpose.

Secondly, a long line of cars, with the odd lorry thrown in, all behind a lost Dutchman pulling his 75 metre caravan in first gear, is seen as a challenge by the average French driver. It is something to be overcome. This is best done by revving the old Peugeot up to 100 kph, pulling out once there’s nothing coming for at least 20 metres, then hurtling down the long line of traffic on the wrong side of the road, whilst lighting up the fifth Gauloise in four minutes, chatting animatedly to the passenger about the meaning of life and trying to stop the dog in the back licking the baguette.

It’s also best to ignore flashing lights, blaring horns and gestures, and once pass the caravan, swerve majestically across to the right side of the road and gun the Peugeot a bit more, because if you take the village at warp factor six, you’re going to get through quicker.

As for foreigners, don’t ignore the speed limits (or take a suitcase of bank notes instead), enjoy the motorway speed limit of 130 kph (81 mph), unless its raining, when it is 110 kph, and remember to take the warning triangle with you, just in case you do break down. And nowadays, you need a fluorescent jacket as well. It’s so that bloke doing warp factor six can see you and hopefully miss you.

All very French and oddly, quite charming. And the reason why you need good car breakdown cover in France.

Tags: Car Breakdown, Car Insurance, Cars, France, Holiday Activities, Holiday Transportation, Holidays, Overseas Driving, Travel, Travel Insurance

Most parents have their own horror stories when it comes to travelling with children and when you decide which car breakdown service to use, when it comes to your offspring, make sure you get one which offers the full recovery service.

Kids and cars don’t always mix that well, because usually the former don’t really comprehend the complexities of driving. Most kids don’t understand the tensions and passions that can be aroused by getting behind the wheel.

They see their parents up front, turning a black round bit of plastic in their hands, kicking their feet at something underneath their seat and pushing backwards and forwards the strange knobbly thing in their hands.

They might hear their parents shout something strange at a taxi driver, question a pedestrians parentage, or indulge in strange gestures at people outside.

It’s a good job that when it comes to comparing rescue and recovery services, there isn’t an option for a reduced price when a child in involved.

Then of course there’s that attention seeking thing, when kids get a tad jealous that the car is getting a bit more of mummy’s attention than it should. A child usually corrects this by either picking up their Mummy’s handbag and emptying the contents all over the inside of the car, or taking the top off their juice drink and pouring the contents over Mummy’s head. The child quickly learns that this tactic tends not to work with Daddy, who immediately pulls over, bellows like a lion, jumps up and down outside, and threatens his offspring with the orphanage.

Then there’s boredom, which is why God invented that great phrase: “…are we there yet?” It is, for the average child, guaranteed to get a rise from their parents so it must be used liberally throughout a journey. Firstly, it can be fired off when the car is still in the drive, just when the parents are going through their pre-flight checks, including “…I thought you switched the gas off.” The phrase can then be used at each stress point, including when the map reading goes wrong, just after the policeman has finished lecturing Daddy about a 20mph speed zone and when the tail-back has lasted ten minutes. At this stage, it’s best to keep repeating it over and over, and over, until the parents turn a funny beetroot colour.

Which is why of course many children nowadays get their way and as soon as the journey starts, are either given an iPod, or a Nintendo to wile away the hours.

But, apart from making sure that the kids seats are of the proper type and quality, and that they are firmly strapped during the duration of the nightmare, there’s little you can do to alleviate the stresses of travelling with children.

Just ensure, when considering car breakdown UK, that you go for the complete works. You’ll certainly need it, should the worse happen, and you’re stranded with the kids somewhere, the Nintendo battery flat and the iPod stuck on a Britney classic.

Are we there yet?

Tags: Car Breakdown, Cars, Child Safety, Children, Holiday Transportation, Travel, Travel Insurance, Travel Sickness

After the U.K. Government got on top of the problem of widespread drink driving, when a coupe of pints and a chaser seemed necessary to cope with the rigours of the Hammersmith gyratory, the issue of speed came next in their sights.

Speed is unlikely to be at the uppermost of your mind when it comes to comparing rescue and recovery services, but is a hot topic of conversation amongst motorists.

Of course, one of the most controversial measures the government undertook to combat the speed problem was to introduce speed cameras on sections of road that before were formerly patrolled by policemen hiding behind hedges. But now most policemen are back at base filling out urgent paperwork, speed cameras took their place.

And speed camera technology has improved so much (the guy will soon no longer even have to change the film, as it will be digitally relayed to the tax office, oops, sorry, police station), it will be even easier to catch speeders.

But motorists don’t like speed cameras who see them for what they really are: revenue generators. They have become just another government stealth tax and this is what really annoys the average motorist. Many strongly argue that their use is not motivated by high principles of road safety but rather is motivated by needing to supplement the tax coffers. If money is not the issue, many argue, then why not just do away with the fines and just dish out the points instead? And few really appreciated the Government’s insistence that speed cameras are their for safety reasons and to prove it, they should be painted in bright colours and not hidden by road signs.

At over £3,000 apiece, the average camera needs paying for of course, but the millions raised by catching speeders pays for their purchase and operation many, many times over.

And, as stated before, although this hot potato is not an issue when it comes to car insurance breakdown cover, every driver finds it irksome, if not downright annoying. Take the average built-up area which means that its perfectly possible to go driving for about ten minutes and get enough points for speeding to be banned for a year.

It is the speed camera’s lack of emotion that really annoys. You cannot plead with it, hope it’s in a good mood, crack a few jokes and hope it’s near the end its shift. If it’s operating and you are speeding, then you are done. And then try arguing in court that there was no-one you were going sixty behind the milk float.

So, when it comes to car breakdown cover UK, the question of speed is not going to arise, but it will fill most of your waking thoughts as you drive around the roads of Britain. And of course, you can’t help thinking that if the government were really serious about speed, then they would tell the manufacturers to fit 50 mph speed limiters onto every vehicle. It’s mechanically perfectly possible to stop a car going above 50 mph (BMWs already do it, but that’s to stop you going above 150 mph), but that is surely the option, if the Government is truly serious about cutting down on speed and road deaths.

But how long would a Government last if it did that? About ten minutes.

Tags: AA - Automobile Association, Auto Cover, Car Breakdown, Speed

People tend to be set one way, or the other: manual or automatic, although it makes little difference to your car breakdown service.

It is indeed a little odd that in car evolutionary terms, cars have developed in such different ways in various countries. Take the U.S for example where cars are basically all automatic. They regard the stick-shift car (one with a gear change) as a quaint, almost British affliction that only has to be mastered once you can afford a European sports car.

For Americans, the automatic gearbox is an integral part of their car, in the same way that nowadays we all expect power steering and air-conditioning.

And although stating that you have an automatic, as opposed to a manual car, is not essential when it comes to the question of car breakdown cover UK, it does say something about car driving nations.

The automatic may well be de rigeur for our American cousins because they were reared on cars that were bigger than buses, had engines with the capacity of Niagara falls and minor roads that were wider than the British M1. Indeed, Americans never really cottoned onto the European’s obsessions with roundabouts, preferring to go left, right, or straight on, but not around.

But British drivers were brought up differently. Most will never drive a true sports car, but plenty seem to dream about it, hanging onto the hope that there are just a gear lever away from a Ferrari. And many claim they can’t drive unless they can feel a gear knob in their hands. It’s the way they commune with their cars and eke out the best performance.

That view might be as crazy as saying that we might still yearn for the wind in our hair and goggles to prevent flies from embedding themselves into our eyes at 60 mph in an open-top car. But many Brits still yearn for a fast, open to the elements, super-charged Bentley, a country lane and a man-servant in the back. Oh yes, those were the days. Driving on the edge, 60 mph around a blind corner, run over a few peasants and back for tea with Mater and the vicar. Jolly good show.

Unfortunately, a manual gearbox does bring out the worse in some drivers who seem to have little understanding as to the principle behind use. For many, gears are something to be endured to make the car go faster. And the clutch might seem an unnecessary hindrance, in that weird synchronised dance that requires one foot to lift off as they other pushes down. Not a difficult series of movements you might think, yet spend some time at a traffic lights, and you will hear a cacophony of squeals and grinding noises.

And lets not get onto those flappy things on the side of steering wheels. These might be okay going around the Nuremberg circuit and Mach 2, but when it comes to the Edgware road, they might not seem such a great wheeze.

So when it comes to compare breakdown cover, don’t worry about whether you drive an automatic, or a manual, it’s all the same to the guys who’ll come and rescue you. Unless, of course, your gearbox is the thing with the problem.

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Tags: Car Breakdown, Gear Box, Motor Car, Transmission

The global economic downturn has had a major effect upon the car market and indeed, buying habits.

Anyone listening to the news for the last few months would know the effect that the recession is having upon the car industry. General Motors nearly went under and some of the world’s major brand names are looking for handouts.

When the recession hit the world, people stopped buying cars. It was that simple.

But for anyone who wants to compare car breakdown cover between the AA, RAC and Green Flag, it’s doubtful whether the already competitive plans on offer will be reduced anymore, for the simple fact that people are now keeping their cars longer.

Whereas two years might be a quite usual time to swap a car for a new, or newer model (pretty straightforward when there was plenty of cheap credit around), people are now thinking of keeping their car an extra year, if not two years.

The has been necessitated by not only a drop in people’s disposable income, but also by fear of job losses, salary reductions and fewer personal loans.

So, people have opted to keep their cars that bit longer and make sure that there car breakdown service is kept up to date.

So, ironically, although the new car market has effectively collapsed, the second hand car market has strengthened.

Those still with jobs and money can achieve some amazing new car deals – such as a reported 40% reduction on new Vauxhalls – which makes the Government scrappage scheme look a little flaky of course, but most people are looking for good second hand cars.

Those around two years old, with a full service history and in good condition, are attracting good prices. It is these that drivers hope that will mean less problems when it comes to car insurance breakdown cover.

Also in demand are cars that are meagre in fuel consumption terms and ones that have low emissions. It would appear that in Europe, and increasingly across the pond in the U.S., that ‘gas guzzlers’ are going to become a thing of the past.

And another beneficiary of this decision to turn away from the new car market is the parts business. Tyre fitters for example are doing a roaring trade as people who keep their cars longer, are forced to keep their tyres in good condition.

Tags: AA, AA - Automobile Association, Car Breakdowns, Car Market, Green Flag, RAC

When it comes to comparing rescue and recovery services, there is very little in substance to what the major brands – such as the AA, RAC and Green Flag – offer a consumer in terms of service and price.

Actually one of the main differences between the AA and the RAC, and Green Flag for example, is that the later do not own and operate their own fleet of breakdown vehicles; they rely on vehicles from garage operators, although most are branded with their logo.

Each of the companies are sophisticated operations which are able to keep the majority of the British driving public on the roads with few problems.

Most people tend to opt for one of the two big names, the AA, or the RAC, because they have been around really since the start of motoring and because they have the best known brands. But the likes of Green Flag are a significant prescence in the market.

Also, some of the smaller operators are better known in the market as offering a contract service to their major customers, such as car manufacturers and insurance companies, so they can in turn offer their customers a comprehensive service.

But when it comes to car breakdown cover UK, there’s not a lot of difference. You should still expect a wide range of schemes that offer value for money car breakdown assistance. You should also expect the breakdown van to be with you in an hour and try their best to get you going from the roadside.

The schemes on offer should be varied and cover all the eventualities you might encounter and this is where you need to have a think about your exact needs.

If you just do the school run and back every day, you might just need the basic cover that means that if you break down, a recovery vehicle will come out to you and tow you to a safe place. You can then add the options until you get the desired level of cover that matches your driving routines. You might think Home Start is a good idea, especially if your car can be a little tricky to get going. If you travel greater distances, the full recovery service might seem a necessary option and if you travel abroad, then car breakdown cover in France and other mainland countries would be vital.

Their pricing structure is also very competitive and allows you to commit to only what you need.

The large breakdown service companies are all very open when it comes to comparing rescue and recovery services, so ensure that you check their websites and literature, and get a feel as to what each offers and how it would suit you.

So remember, when you compare car breakdown cover, play the options game and get the service that matches your lifestyle and driving habits.

Tags: AA, Breakdowns, Car Breakdown, Car Breakdowns, Green Flag, RAC

If we forget the recession a minute, there still is that awkward problem about global warming and this is where green driving comes in.

In fact, the greener driver you are, will most probably also mean you will see less of your car breakdown service.

The idea is to drive non-aggressively and therefore increase your cars’ miles per gallon, and its lifespan.

Hard driving has a negative effect upon your car’s performance in so many ways and could mean that when you compare car breakdown cover, you might not be able to get the best deal.

Nowadays drivers are encouraged to have a degree of empathy with their car. Jumping in, switching it on and immediately screaming off in a blaze of exhaust fumes, tyres squealing, burnt rubber and red-lining each gear change, is now no longer the accepted method of starting off from the kerb.

A car engine needs a few seconds of life before it is asked to reach maximum working load. It will do it of course, but think of all the pressure on the inner workings. Cam belts, water pumps, valves and all the rest of the thousands of components that make-up a modern engine, need carefully handling. Undue stress and they will fail on a more regular basis. And it means you will see the likes of the AA, RAC and Green Flag on a more regular basis.

And you don’t want to be paying over the odds when it comes to car insurance breakdown cover.

So, we now all have to remember to treat our cars kindly. When starting off, give it just a little chance to get warmed up; allow all that oil that has dropped to the sump during the night to get back into those nooks and crannies in the engine block. This doesn’t mean of course leaving it outside running for 15 minutes whilst you have that final cup of coffee. That does nothing for your fuel consumption, or the environment.

Once ready to go, use the throttle as though it has an egg underneath. Apply pressure gradually and thoughtfully. Do not have a ‘heavy’ right boot which means you kick at the pedal like Cristiano Ronaldo shooting from outside the box. And then make each successive gear change way before the red line on the rev counter. What’s a rev counter? For those that need to ask, it’s a dial, hopefully in the middle of your instrument panel, that helps you avoid blowing-up the engine with excessive revving (although your ears should also tell you that). But nowadays, it’s also a great way of keeping your fuel consumption down.

Use your rev counter to make sure you change gear at just the right time – so as not to let the engine struggle and stall, but also to avoid unnecessary revs and therefore wasted fuel.

Also, try not to ever go over 2,500/3,000 rpm (revolutions per minute), depending on your type of car of course. Most engines red-line (danger rev levels) at around 6,500/7,000 rpm, so keeping your car always at half that, will make a significant and beneficial difference to your fuel consumption and therefore your pocket.

It helps in this to also drive by anticipating what’s going to happen next. If you see for example stationery traffic ahead, slow down in plenty of time. Don’t leave it to the last minute, slap on the brakes, then accelerate hard again to pick-up speed.

Watch your revs and you could save yourself a packet. Green driving is not just for those who drive Volvos and live in Sweden.

Tags: Car Breakdowns, Car Insurance, Car Maintenance, Cars, Green Driving

The art of defensive driving is all about keeping you safe on the road, which should also mean you’ll see less of your car breakdown service.

And good defensive driving comes with practice. It is not something that can be picked up overnight and it requires patience, and some concentration.

It’s based on the premise than everyone around you is a bad driver. And it’s all those other guys and gals out there that need to be comparing rescue and recovery services, because they’re going to need them, and not you, because your the best driver in the world!

So, have a go at driving with the attitude that everyone is a bad driver and that rather than you’re going to show how it should be done, you’re going to move quietly along. You are going to anticipate trouble and when you’re proved right, you’re going to steer around the situation and get away. Believe me, you will eventually find this works because you will hopefully avoid a trip to casualty, or the local jailhouse. And it will save you a lot of time when its come to compare breakdown cover.

Most of us feel that when driving, not only are we the best driver in the world, but that we also have an inalienable right to do as we see fit. Therefore, when we see what we regard as poor driving, the overwhelmingly urges comes across most of us to teach that miscreant a lesson.

So, for the slow driver, the favoured tactic is tail-gating at the fattest speed possible to prove that despite there being speed limits, we know the best speed for that road, even if we’ve never driven along it before. And for the driver that might accidentally pull out in front of us and cause us to decelerate from the safe speed of 100 mph in a built up area, we favour flashing lights, complex hand signals and an open window so that we can hurl obscenities in order to enforce our firm views. And this of course whilst overtaking the offender with inches to spare, outside a school and with a juggernaut coming the other way.

And who says men can’t multi-task? Many seem able to change gear, make one-fingered gestures, light a cigarette, text, shout at another driver and find the right track on the stereo, all at the same time, whilst not slowing down. Brilliant; except that there will be one result, premature aging.

So, try something new. Look for trouble and when it happens, act accordingly. Take evasive action and once the situation has passed, get on with your driving. Leave the police to enforce driving standards. And stay calm. Do not think your manhood, or femininity, has been threatened when someone does’t let you pass in the fast lane. Stay cool and keep out of trouble.

Drive looking ahead; thinking about what might happen, if. That way, I am sure, your will see less of your car breakdown service.

Tags: Car Breakdowns, Car Crashes, Cars, Defensive Driving, Driving Standards Agency

Okay, lets not try to get into too many national stereotypes when talking about overseas driving.

Well, we can try, but we may not be able to avoid it and for anyone thinking about driving abroad on holiday, or for business for that matter, it’s worth having a quick think about the differences between a few of our European neighbours.

If nothing else, it might help show that car breakdown cover in France, Germany, or Spain for example, is essential.

Lets take the British first. Thanks to successive government initiatives and campaigns, the drivers on this island do appear to be behaving a little better than they have done in the past. So much so, that when comparing rescue and recovery services, it looks like we’re getting some good deals.

The Brits have generally come to terms with drink driving. It has reduced over the years and the police, and many road organisations, believe that despite the Christmas time madness, its now under control.

Now the emphasis is on speed and although many drivers see the blossoming of cameras on every high street a mere tax raising measure, the problems of drivers going too fast has also improved. In many ways, speed is now seen as the new drink driving and for those travelling too fast along the country’s byways, they get the same looks once reserved for the drunks.

Right, so how does driving in say France differ from that of the U.K? And how should this influence someone who is comparing rescue and recovery services, and is keen to add an overseas clause?

Once you’ve been driving in France a little while you’ll soon appreciate that although they have got a grip on drink driving (once the curse of the countryside), speed still remains an issue. Speed cameras are not so widespread and although the Gendarmes still love roadside speed checks (and charge foreigners cash for their misdemeanours), the French still appear to be in love with speed. Travel down any A road in France and you will bear witness to any number of hair-raising attempts to get past, seemingly ignoring what’s on the other side of the road. Don’t join in: just grin and bear it, and be ready to take avoiding action.

Also, when you compare breakdown cover UK with the rest of Europe, remember that there are different systems in place. Take French motorways for example. In the U.K. the motorways, apart from the link road around Birmingham, are state owned. In France, they are owned and operated by private companies.

Breakdown on one of these and you will be rescued not by an affiliate of the AA, RAC, or Green Flag, but by a private operator and you can end up facing a hefty bill. Depending on the time of day, it can cost well over 100 euros to get you towed to a garage where you can then contact your breakdown company for advice on repairs, or car repatriation. This money will of course be reimbursed by your breakdown company, but bear it in mind when
speeding down the motorway.

So, always remember that driving overseas is a different proposition and that the things you take for granted with car breakdown cover UK, is not necessarily the same aboard.

Tags: AA, Car Breakdown, Car Breakdowns, Green Flag, Overseas Driving, RAC