Have you ever faced a fraudulent accident claim that wasn’t anything to do with you? If so, please tell us what happened.

Wendy is a member of FOXY Lady Drivers Club and lives in Hampshire. She wrote to us recently after reading our December Club newsletter including details of a recent car accident and FOXY’s accident management support service.

And whilst we do hear about fraudulent insurance claims we hadn’t heard Wendy’s unusual experience before.

This is what she told us…

“Last year we did NOT have an accident but someone made a claim against us in December for an accident that was supposed to have happened in the previous August. The insurance company paid out against it because my car has a crack in the number plate which they said could have happened in an accident even though I can supply witnesses to prove it was cracked on the drive when my daughter left the hand brake off and it rolled into the garage door. I even have the dent in the garage door!

I never reported an accident because I did not have one. The only related thing we could think of later was when 2 men in the car in front in a stationary traffic queue got out of their car and spoke to my daughter, who was driving on her own. They said they thought she had gone into them but then agreed that she probably hadn’t and there was no damage…”

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The problem is of course that nobody is going to report an accident that did not happen.

But Wendy wants to caution people to report anything out of the ordinary like this in future just in case someone tries to scam you later. At least it may help and may even prevent the same thing happening again?”

Thank you for bringing this to our attention Wendy and I hope enough women read this to be on their guard in future.

Wendy is waiting to see how her insurance premium is affected at renewal time. It will be most unfair if she loses out as a result of a non-existent accident… as claimed by a motoring rat.

FOXY Steph

FOXY Lady Drivers Club supports today’s research findings that the cost to the UK of scrapping the annual MOT could be as much as £1.5 billion.

Government claims that reducing MOT frequency will also reduce the financial burden on motorists are challenged today in a report which shows the opposite – that proposals to scrap annual testing will hit both motorists and the UK economy hard.

The report by Pro-MOTe is titled “A cost too far” and includes research that the average female motorist would be more than £57 worse off under a less frequent MOT system than she is today.

It also shows that the overall cost to the UK in increased costs of road deaths, injuries and damage, as well as 40,000 lost jobs and reduced tax revenues, will be some £1.44bn.

The research compares costs of the existing 3-1-1 MOT system (where cars over three years are tested every year) with the 4-2-2 system more commonly used elsewhere in Europe (where cars over four years old are tested every two years).  It estimates that under 4-2-2, the average motorist would incur annual SAVINGS of £24.44 a year made up of:
- £20 a year in saved MOT fees
- £3.30 a year in saved personal time
- £1.14 a year in saved fuel costs as a result of fewer visits to a MOT station

But the average motorist would incur annual INCREASES of £81.81 under 4-2-2 from:
- £30.59 in additional repair costs
- £46.05 in additional insurance premiums
- £5.17 in additional fuel costs of £5.17

The research was carried out using data from the DfT and the Treasury, and motor industry sources.  Pro-MOTe is supported by the RAC, AA, road safety campaigners, industry groups and insurance companies to campaign against plans to reduce MOT frequency.

Commenting on the report, Pro-MOTe co-ordinator, Bill Duffy, said:

“This research shows that scrapping annual MOT testing would not only be dangerous but prove very expensive too, to both drivers and taxpayers alike. The Government has suggested that reducing the number of safety tests would reduce the financial burden on motorists.  Yet the truth is exactly the opposite.  Moving to two-yearly tests would mean extra repair costs, extra insurance premiums and extra fuel costs for already hard-pressed motorists. And the cost to the UK economy in lost jobs and higher costs arising from the additional accidents that we would see due to less frequent testing would be significant.”

Hear hear Bill. This is a poorly considered proposition and it’s time it was scrapped. This is also costing road safety, consumer organisations like ours and directly affected motor industry businesses a lot of unnecessary time and money attempting to do this research for our Government.

An interesting and possibly previously ignored dimension here seems to be that insurance companies plan to respond to the scenario of an increased number of unroadworthy cars by raising premiums for us all.   Then motorists would surely hold the Government responsible for another rise in the cost of motoring…

So it’s time to shut the UK’s back door to this proposal now. Heaven knows we all have more productive things to be getting on to benefit not threaten the UK economy and its motor industry.

FOXY Steph

For further information go to the Pro-MOTe website or contact Ed Owen at EdO@pro-mote.org.uk or on 07774 759653. Pro-MOTe was launched in October 2011 to press the Government to drop plans to reduce the frequency of MOT testing. The launch report “Dangerous, expensive and unwanted” is available at http://www.pro-mote.org.uk/assets/download/PRO-MOTE_launch_report.pdf

Supporters of the Pro-MOTe campaign include AA, Andrew Page, Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel, Autoglass, Aviva, Brake, British Cycling, Confused.com, Driver’s Edge UK, Euro Car Parts, FOXY Lady Drivers Club, Garage Equipment Association, GEM Motoring Assist, Halfords Autocentres, Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation, Kwik Fit, MOTEST, MOT Trade Forum, MOT Club, National Tyre Distributors Association, Parts Alliance, RAC, The Retail Motor Industry Federation, Road Safety Analysis, Road Safety GB, The Scottish Motor Trade Association, Tyre Industry Federation, UNITE.

Earlier this year we launched a female friendly accident assistance service for club members but I didn’t expect to be needing it myself.

That’s the thing about insurance and support services like FOXY Lady Drivers Club, breakdown recovery and/or accident assistance. Ideally you want to have them all, just in case, but you hope you won’t need them.

And the least understood of these is probably that of no fault accident management services yet they often provide a more caring and comprehensive accident support service than busy insurance companies who are inclined towards cost cutting to minimise claims costs for all. Which isn’t always fair, especially in circumstances like this.

My story is a simple one. Earlier this year I bought a BMW sports car for fun motoring. We called him Zoot – it’s a long story to do with ‘him’ being a Z model. Anyway I loved driving Zoot and expected to have him for many years to come…

Which is not now to be the case because last week, whilst having a short anniversary break in Kent, my husband and I were involved in an accident and Zoot is now ‘uneconomic to repair’…

My husband was driving along the A28 between Canterbury and Ashford when we saw a lady on the lefthand side of the road waiting to turn right, as it happens. I am sure she saw us and yet her car pulled out almost immediately in front of us with c20m to spare. We were probably doing c40-50mph and we were unable to avoid a collision. Both cars ended up on the opposite side of the road, without hitting any oncoming vehicles thank goodness.

Thank goodness too that nobody was killed or seriously injured. The lady in question was local and a grandmother; we know this because she was quickly joined by members of her family who had heard the crash. I think she might have suffered whiplash and her Ford was certainly badly damaged.

My husband was well enough to take photos which act as a stark reminder of events but also illustrate precisely what must have happened.

Whilst ambulance staff attended to us, the police completed the accident statements needed and my husband ended up sorting out the recovery of our car with a company the Police introduced.

My husband also contacted FOXY’s accident assistance service at this stage who were quick to organise a replacement car that arrived at our hotel the next morning. A valuation was carried out the next day and by Day 3 we’d received and agreed this. So far so good but this is now complicated because the other driver claims that we were indicating to turn left at her junction which is why she pulled out when she did…

I won’t comment about this here because if proof is needed (which it shouldn’t be when one is expected to drive safely) the car’s data will surely prove this. So this is where we are at. Stacey is our friendly and knowledgeable contact at our accident management service, and she is dealing with the hire car, valuation, our insurer and the progress of our claim. Very reassuring to have this support in such stressful circumstances…

So I’ll keep you posted.

Me? I’ve chipped my sternum (chest bone) from a combination of airbag and seat belt damage and have broken the base of my right thumb. Both involve painful and spectacular bruising so typing duties have had to be delegated and I’m off the road for a while…

Would I buy another BMW Zoot machine? You bet. The front of the car took the brunt of the impact but the cab remained intact and both doors opened. It could have been much, much worse.

But it was SO useful to have someone to phone for friendly support when we needed it most. Highly recommended and an important part of what FOXY is all about – for Club members and their family of course.

Find out more about FOXY Lady Drivers Club’s female friendly accident management service .

How much did you say?

A number of garages expect me to start the buying process before they tell me how much my car servicing is likely to cost. But I’m foxy, remember; I’m used to comparing prices first and I have no intention of being fobbed off in this way.

If I pick something off a supermarket shelf or High Street clothes rack, for example, I expect to see the price before I buy it.

If it’s more than I want to pay I can keep looking or go elsewhere. Whether it’s a tin of beans, a car service or a fitted kitchen…

And I don’t expect to be asked for my personal details before I’m given a price. That’s enough to send me packing elsewhere…

So when my car needs servicing or repairs I want to know what my choices are and to be able to compare, like for like, what it’s going to cost for my car and model. Because otherwise it’s nigh on impossible to judge what’s best value for money for me, the car and the occasion.

As things stand…some garages publish car servicing tariffs online and others don’t.

Most dealerships and leading independent garages include car collection services whereas few national chain garages and fast-fits do…

And some garage brokers publish a price tariff and collect your car but don’t tell you which garage will be doing the work. This worries me because a low price can be a function of quality workmanship and this is an industry where garages aren’t regulated and mechanics do not have to be accredited as fit for purpose...

Yet many garage and main dealership websites expect motorists to book car servicing and MOTs via their website without confirming a price or giving an estimate for starters. And one assumes people trust them sufficiently to do this…

Well, knowing what I do about the UK’s garage industry I wouldn’t buy expensive garage services without knowing
1     who the garage is
2    whether it’s up to the job ie what are their credentials
3    what my local choices are and
4    that the price is a fair one in my circumstances (from a value for money point of view).

So my advice to all foxy lady drivers is to check the garage in question for measurable signs of quality (like ATA, BSI and OFT logos), look for a tariff (or ask for an estimate in advance) and shop around. And my advice to garages is to publish some sort of estimate before they go to someone else who does.

It’s a very competitive world when it comes to buying car servicing and/or vehicle repairs and this means that independents, dealerships, fastfits and bodyshops must each set out their wares to attract the right customer and car. Prices, customer services and amenities – not just the work they do.

Having said that, it is rarely in any motorist’s best interest to buy a used car or garage service on price alone and no-one should be fooled into buying any garage service or repair without getting a quote in advance…

Sadly too many foxy lady drivers are paying more than they need without realising this until afterwards.

To find out about your choice of garage solutions and signs of garage quality to look for, see FOXY’s Good Garage Guide. And if it’s female friendly garages you’re after, visit FOXY Choice’s website and email selected businesses direct to compare their prices and service levels first.

Finally let us know how you get on and, whilst this offer stands, we’ll thank women who give us garage feedback with a free gift of membership of FOXY Lady Drivers Club worth £23. Where we share the word about the best businesses to benefit foxy lady members and their families…

FOXY Steph

The Ladies evening at Wessex Garages Penarth Road dealership in Cardiff

Wessex Garages in Cardiff organised a very successful evening event for their female customers last month at their Penarth Road showroom.

The event attracted an impressive 60 women on a dark and dreary October evening who were entertained whilst a dedicated team of hard working valeters treated their cars to a special Primp & Polish makeover.

Wessex’s Penarth Road showroom represents the Kia, Hyundai, FIAT and Abarth franchises in Cardiff so this was a great opportunity for everyone to give the latest models the once over.

And in case the Abarth brand isn’t as well known as the others, members of the all female audience were treated to a ‘Top Gear’ like review from a panel of  motorists who had just test driven the Abarth. Their feedback was fun and favourable which is what you should expect about such a smart and zippy car with female appeal.

Next on the agenda was an excellent presentation from Conflict Solutions covering road safety issues and survival tactics in the event of the dreaded vehicle breakdown when you are on your own. Undoubtedly the highlight of this talk was the clever self-defence moves that were demonstrated, just in case this know how ever might come in handy!

At this point in the proceedings Wessex Garages female technician, Natasha, joined the party and led a number of fun challenges (for the mechanically less experienced…) including changing wheels, checking tyres and topping up oil levels. It’s always good to have a go for ourselves, even though we know that the professionals are likely to be there to do it for us on request…

During the evening there had been a few exciting prize draws but the ultimate one that most time-strapped motoring maidens would surely covet most was a professional car valet service for a whole 12 months! Just imagine that…

To demonstrate their female friendly credentials to more women drivers, Wessex Garages Penarth Road has recently joined the new FOXY Choice approved FEMALE FRIENDLY garage network and are the first dealership listed in Cardiff.

To tie in with this initiative, all attendees were offered gift memberships of FOXY Lady Drivers Club with Wessex Garages’ compliments.

As one guest said in her feedback after the event ‘It was a cold and wet October evening and I was tempted to go home after work …but I was really glad I forced myself to go!’

Well done Wessex Garages. This was a big event that was professionally managed and organised for the benefit of the lucky ladies who attended. From FOXY Choice’s point of view we have just awarded you a generous handful of female friendly brownie points as part of our garage monitoring processes!

FOXY Steph

Dear Justine Greening…

We know you have a lot on your plate and you probably didn’t expect to get the transport job in such a hurry but, on behalf of  motoring mums and daughters across the UK, can you please reassure us VERY SOON that the UK will be maintaining its MOT status quo in favour of safer roads in future.

This means saying NO to the EU; opting for the UK’s 3-1-1 MOT model and not the EU’s 4-2-2 version in the face of previous government figures showing that this will cost us lives and ’000s of jobs.

Just to remind us all, this is what the MOT industry experts are saying to encourage motorists and motor industry colleagues alike to sign the Pro-MOTe petition…

Edmund King, AA President
“All too often you spot cars driving with a headlight, tail light or brake light out. The only time many of these drivers do anything about it is when the car goes for an MOT test or if traffic police pull them over. The Government’s idea to extend the MOT test intervals may be portrayed as an olive branch to drivers by reducing the burden on them, but the AA and three-fifths of our members believe it is a false saving which could lead to more expensive repairs later, and that’s before the safety argument. The Government should state that they will not change the frequency of MOTs.”

Jonathan Fox, of the Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel
“At a time when we have the lowest rate of road deaths in any equivalent developed country, conversely our MOT failure rate has increased by 12% over the last five years. Moving away from our current annual examination to an MOT every two years is misguided and this can only result in even more defective vehicles on our roads than at present. The only conclusion that can be extracted from these poorly thought out proposals is that we see an increase of injuries and deaths on our roads at a time when they have never been safer.”

Nigel Bartram, Senior Motor Underwriting Manager at Aviva
“We believe MOT timings should remain unchanged. The MOT is the only time some vehicles receive any safety checks and maintenance – this applies particularly to older cars which are often driven by younger drivers – and to reduce the frequency of this check could cost lives.”

Julie Townsend, Deputy Chief Executive at Brake, the road safety charity
“As a charity supporting families whose lives are devastated by road death and injury, we are aghast that the Government is proposing such an appalling backwards step. We should be doing everything we can to stop people being killed and injured on roads, to prevent families suffering so terribly, and to reduce the economic burden of these casualties. That means having a robust system to ensure vehicles are roadworthy. Downgrading the system so MOTs are only required every two years is a nonsensical and inhumane policy that would mean many more needless tragedies.”

Martin Gibbs, Policy and Legal Affairs Director, British Cycling
“We would be concerned at any changes to the MOT system that is likely to increase the number of unsafe vehicles on the road. Cyclists, perhaps more than any other road users, rely on the Government to create a safe environment on the road and the MOT system is a key part of that.”

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com
“Driving is one of the most dangerous things people do on a daily basis. It’s vital that all drivers are doing regular maintenance checks of their vehicle to ensure our roads are kept as safe as possible. Currently, more than a third of the vehicles presented for their first MOT fail the test. Confused.com is passionate about road safety as shockingly, five people are killed and a further 65 are seriously injured on UK roads every day. For us, a yearly MOT is a must. Many may argue that cars are more reliable now than when the test was first introduced in 1960 and as a result, yearly checks are not needed but why take the risk? No amount of car safety or reliability features will make the roads 100% safe and the importance of regular car checks should not be underestimated.”

Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia, Chairman & Managing Director, Euro Car Parts Ltd
“If this crazy proposal is adopted, many millions of motorists will abandon preventative maintenance and drive for up to 2 years with dangerous tyres, brakes, lights etc. The cost to the nation in death, injury, car accidents, breakdowns and increased emissions will be truly massive … all for a measly £15 to £20 annual ‘saving’ per car.”

Steph Savill, Founder of FOXY Lady Drivers Club
“Many women rely on the garage industry alone to keep their cars safe. Not just the ones we own but also the vehicles that other motorists drive. We know from experience that many motorists (male and female) are scrimping on car servicing to save money today so an annual MOT might be the only time a garage professional can spot a potentially dangerous car. On behalf of all motoring mums and daughters we want to be reassured that our cars will be MORE, not less, SAFE on UK roads in future. We are supporting PROMOTE and the UK 3-1-1 MOT model because the 4-2-2 EU MOT version could cost us lives and motor industry jobs.”

Dave Garrett, Chief executive, Garage Equipment Association
“The GEA has an interest in retaining the integrity, quality and consistency of the MOT. Although motor vehicle technology has improved over the years, MOT failure rates remain high, with many vehicles failing their first test because of inefficient brakes and worn tyres. Therefore in order to meet the European object of reducing road deaths by 50% by 2020, the MOT frequency for cars must remain the same at 3-1-1. It may also be advisable to reduce the MOT frequency for Vans to 1-1-1, as many so called “white vans” have covered over 250,000 miles before their first MOT.”

Bill Duffy, Chief Executive of Halfords Autocentres
“Halfords is a friend of the Motorist and we want to help them reduce costs and to travel as safely as possible. We believe that extending the MOT frequency would be bad news for drivers and bad news for road safety and the environment. We know, from the tests at our own garages, that without an annual safety check up millions more cars would be driving in an unroadworthy condition. We also see the financial consequences for drivers who don’t get repair work fixed in a timely manner. It always leads to higher bills later and that isn’t what we want for our customers. There’s no doubt that the MOT test is an affordable and basic component of road safety, protecting road users and pedestrians. It saves lives, keeps people safe and it saves motorists money. We welcome a review of the MOT system to make improvements to help the motorist. But reducing MOT test frequency is a bad move for motorists and society as a whole.”

Brian Spratt, Chief Executive, Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation
“The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF), representing manufacturers, importers and wholesale distributors of vehicle components, and independent garages, service centres and MOT stations, welcomes the PRO-MOTE campaign to reject government proposals to reduce the frequency of MOT testing. The IAAF is certain that these proposals will have a serious adverse effect on road safety, the environment, and employment in the independent motor trade, and we can see no merit in the proposals. The IAAF is committed to ensure the effectiveness of the MOT system and its benefit to road users, and will continue to lobby the appropriate authorities and work with other organisations to achieve that end.”

David White, Customer Services Director at Kwik Fit
“A reduction in MOT testing is going to hit many businesses hard, particularly local small and medium-sized companies. The industry as a whole takes on about 10,000 new apprentices every year and it seems inevitable that this will be significantly scaled back if MOT frequency is reduced.”

John Ashton, Director of the MOT Club
“If 4-2-2 is adopted who will check the one million vehicles that hit the market after a three year lease contract, many of which have extremely high mileage?”

Jim Punter Chairman of the MOT Trade Forum
“On average, every day, MOT Testers inspect over 72,000 vehicles to make sure they are safe to drive on the road, and are fully roadworthy. Of these, over 2,200 vehicles are found to have defects, which, Testers consider, render them dangerous to drive. These vehicles are either repaired or scrapped by motorists which ensures that significant numbers of deaths and serious injuries on our roads are avoided every day. Any action on the Government’s part to reduce MOT Test frequency would leave these vehicles uninspected and still in use on the roads despite their dangerous condition. I would urge the Government to seriously re-consider, and abandon this dangerous, unwanted, expensive and irresponsible policy.”

Richard Edy, Director, National Tyre Distribution Association
“The NTDA is proud to support the PRO-MOTE campaign to maintain the current frequency of MOTs. Tyres are safety critical items which constantly wear. It is imperative that they are regularly inspected and properly maintained. Many motorists rely on their annual MOT for the inspection of their tyres, any extension or lengthening of the MOT frequency is likely to have a major impact on road safety and contribute to increased deaths and major injuries on our roads.”

David Bizley, Technical Director, RAC
“The current MOT testing regime has stood the UK in good stead and ensures that there are relatively few accidents directly attributable to unroadworthy vehicles. RAC therefore supports the retention of the current arrangements and is an enthusiastic supporter of PRO-MOTE.”

Richard Owen, Finance & Operations Director of Road safety Analysis
“In our work with the road safety profession we regularly carry out detailed analysis of collision records. It is clear through the statistics that vehicle defects cause a tiny percentage of all crashes with fewer than 2,000 crashes in 2010 attributed to defective vehicles. With less frequent vehicle checks we would undoubtedly see large increases in these types of collisions.”

James Gibson, spokesperson for Road Safety GB
“Road Safety GB is keen to support the PRO-MOTE campaign – the evidence shows that changing the testing regime will reduce safety on our roads. The MOT test has been in place for over forty years, we all know that vehicles have become more reliable in this time but many components still require regular safety checks. An annual check for vehicles over three years old isn’t excessive, especially when we think of drivers who fail to carry out even basic safety checks like checking tyres or lights from one MOT to the next!”

John Ball, RMI MOT Chairman
“Our members’ garages constantly see the worsening state of cars and vans as motorists are cutting back on maintenance. Three-year-old vehicles at first test are also a concern, despite their improved design, with high failure rates on safety critical items like tyres, brakes and lights. What’s more, reducing MOT frequency will add to the financial burden on motorists and undermine thousands of small and medium-sized businesses putting at risk thousands of jobs, including many apprenticeships.”

Douglas Robertson, Chief executive, Scottish Motor Trade Association
“At the SMTA Annual Dinner in November 2010, Scotland’s First Minister, the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP, publicly supported the SMTA’s opposition to any reduction in the frequency of MOT Testing that may be proposed by the UK government. In welcoming this support the SMTA acknowledged that much work to garner all party support within Scotland and the United Kingdom was still required and that would take place once the UK government’s review proposals were formally made public. Rather than opposing a reduction in testing frequency, the SMTA will be proposing an increase in frequency following confirmation by VOSA that failure rates have increased since the last UK Government Report on MOT Testing in 2008. The SMTA with over 800 members is the leading trade association for the retail motor industry in Scotland.”

David Seward, Chairman, Tyre Industry Federation
“25% of MOT test failures are for tyre-related causes. Putting two years between MOT tests will greatly increase the number of vehicles being driven on unsafe and illegal tyres.”
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Granted the UK MOT industry can do a better job in future but that’s what we should all be concentrating on – making our garage industry a better place for motorists by highlighting all evidence of measurable quality and outing the bad apples that continue to let the good garages down. And not having to spend all our time attempting to fend off a crazy EU proposal that should have been dismissed as such ages ago.

We are sure you understand and appreciate our concerns Justine…

FOXY Steph

On behalf of all women drivers… FOXY Lady Drivers Club is supporting the PRO-MOTE campaign to keep the safer British MOT model in the face of a real EU threat.

The UK MOT industry is seriously threatened by a lesser EU alternative. Despite one in three cars failing their first MOT after just 3 years on our roads and most of us too busy to maintain our cars in between annual tests thereafter, the EU is attempting to impose a regime that tests our cars every other year, starting once they are 4 years old.

Instead of what is known as the UK 3-1-1 model the EU is attempting to sell us their 4-2-2 version yet their roads aren’t as safe as ours. That’s madness.

Which will mean many more unsafe cars on our roads, an increase in accidents as a result (there are illustrative statistics to prove this) and ’000s of jobs lost in the UK’s motor industry.

After banging on the drum and getting nowhere with protests made by FOXY Lady Drivers Club to our Sussex MP Nick Herbert (and tweets to Philip Hammond who was in charge but just about to change platforms) we now have a new Transport Secretary, Justine Greening. I don’t envy her having to get to grips with this and red herring issues thrown into the mix, like increasing the speed limit on motorways. Whilst VOSA is changing the existing UK MOT model to include other items…

This is the perfect scenario for this BAD CHANGE to come in through the UK’s back door whilst no-one is standing guard, so to speak. In which case, mark my words, the cost of this apathy will be lost British lives on our roads and MOT industry jobs.

Which is why FOXY Lady Drivers Club is supporting the new PRO-MOTE campaign alongside other road safety groups, motoring organisations and industry bodies.

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION to show your support and pass it on as a priority.

Please don’t think that others will do the right thing for you. You have to do it for yourself. If not, and the EU MOT model is introduced, the cost could be a life or the job of somebody you know. Because nobody bothered to do the right thing. That includes YOU…

Go on, sign the petition now please!

FOXY Steph

By all means see what I wrote about this earlier when I was canvassing support about the UK MOT model in my blog at confused.com. And see why women need their own motoring club to add their voice here…

Supporting organisations include FOXY Lady Drivers Club, the RAC, the AA, Brake, Aviva, Halfords, Kwik Fit and the Retail Motor Industry Federation.

A Ladies Garage evening in Leeds

Nightingale Service Centre in Horsham and Motor Marque garage in North Leeds are both organising free and timely Ladies Evenings in November to give women drivers cold weather motoring tips and foxy advice about caring for your car during what may well be a harsh winter.

When we recruit garages to FOXY Choice’s female friendly network we expect subscribers to sign our FOXY Promise (to never overcharge, patronise or sell women anything they don’t need or want to buy) and a minimum commitment to quality, value, cleanliness and a genuinely friendly customer welcome. But for non-compulsory ‘female friendly’ brownie points FOXY Choice particularly likes to see garages that employ women in customer facing roles and organise ladies evenings to help women run their cars

Two such FOXY Choice subscribers are organising special Ladies* Evenings this November in Horsham, West Sussex and Leeds in West Yorkshire.

*men welcome too of course (but few think they need this ); FOXY recommends these evenings to ALL novice drivers regardless of gender.

HORSHAM 29 November 2011 from 6-8pm
Nightingale Service Centre tel: 01403 253068 (ask for Shelly or Austin)
Free of charge but including a cuppa and a very merry mince pie in between practical tips on winter driving and hands on oil and wheel changing advice.

NORTH LEEDS 16 November 2011 from 6.30 to 8.30pm
Motor Marque tel: 0113 288 8899 (ask for Louise or Mark)
Free of charge but including refreshments, practical winter driving tips and associated seasonal motoring matters that women want to know about!

Please note that all women attending these sessions will receive a gift membership to FOXY Lady Drivers Club worth £23 so it also makes financial sense to sign up whilst there are still spaces.

FOXY Steph

PS Any men attending can nominate a foxy lady to receive their Club membership gift of course!

A recent Freedom of Information request revealed that c4,000 drivers were banned from the roads in 2009 due to poor eyesight and a new study suggests that 2.7m motorists would fail their driving test today for the same reason.

Which is yet another good reason to commence interim refresher driving tests methinks, to keep us all up to date with the latest rules and regulations and to give us the peace of mind needed to know we’re safe to drive.

New research from esure car insurance reveals that one in twelve motorists (eight per cent) are not able to read a license plate from 20 metres, which would result in them automatically failing their driving test if taken again.

Almost half of motorists (45 per cent) admitted their eyesight had deteriorated since they first took their test (no surprise there…) with nearly one in three admitting to asking passengers to read road signs for them.

It is suggested that we Brits favour vanity over safety when it comes to our driving because nearly a quarter of motorists polled (24 per cent) have driven without our glasses despite being prescribed them. I suspect that few women drivers realise they are required by law to immediately book an eye test if they have any sight concerns. The research revealed that the average motorist waits three years to have an eye test, while one in ten motorists (10 per cent) confessed that they had not had an eye exam in the last ten years. I am confident I was once married to one of these…

Mike Pickard, Head of Risk and Underwriting at esure car insurance, said: “While the number of motorists banned from driving due to poor eyesight is increasing, it’s shocking to see how many motorists have concerns about not having twenty-twenty vision but are still happy to drive.

“We urge all motorists to have their eyes examined regularly and to make sure they always wear their glasses if required whilst driving.  Failing to do so could land you a hefty fine and poses a danger to both themselves and other road users.”

Hear, hear Mike. Presumably the drivers that were banned had their eyes tested at some stage and were deemed to be unsafe at the wheel. I am not aware of eyesight being tested after an accident although this could be a contributory factor of course. I imagine (but the study doesn’t say this) that this condition is largely down to old age or a known medical condition.

But it is a useful reminder to us all of course, says she smugly, within days of her visit to SpecSavers in Worthing…

FOXY Steph

Women drivers who are interested in their personal and family motoring safety should consider joining FOXY Lady Drivers Club -  to stay up to date with the latest motoring advice, information and special services available, like free car checks.

Just say no to the EU about MOTs

The EU is attempting to change our proven MOT regime and this WILL cost us lives and motor industry jobs if we let it.

I have posted about this subject before but I am now SERIOUSLY concerned that changes to our MOT system could get in through the UK’s back door as a result of our lethargy or simply as a result of our disbelief.

YES it CAN happen and if it does, it WILL affect road safety levels and cost us jobs in the UK motor industry if this change is allowed in via the Government’s back door.

Please read my campaigning blog at Confused.com about government plans to risk road safety.

After all, no-one really believed that the EU could tell UK insurers how to rate their car insurance risk when it comes to the gender of young men and women drivers. But this happened and will take effect in December 2012 without any noticeable sign of UK government protest, despite this flying in the face of statistical evidence (that women are the safer and therefore cheaper drivers to insure) and being totally unfair on females as a consequence.

In such instances the EU law is an ass and the UK government should have the guts to stand up and be counted where the harmonisation of bureaucracy to convenience EU officials is not in our country’s best interests. Rather than simply see it as a convenient cost saving sap for motorists…

And whilst women drivers are now to be expected to cough up to fill the coffers of UK car insurance companies (after a few lean years for them we are told) this proposed change about MOTs will cost us considerably more than just money. I’m talking about the cost of lives on our roads because our cars will be less safe if the EU gets its way here.

We must also realise that some 50,000 individuals are employed in the UK MOT industry so, potentially, half of these jobs could be at risk if the government approves a MOT regime every other year rather than every year as it stands at present.

Please read more about this via the Confused.com blog link and then join us at Facebook for progress news. Either FOXY Lady Drivers Club (for women drivers) or FOXY Choice (for trade members).

FOXY Steph

‘All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.’     Edmund Burke.
And ‘good women’ we would add!