Top Ten foxy motoring tips and advice for women

• Top Ten car breakdown tips for women drivers
• Top Ten moneysaving tips for women drivers
• Top Ten tips for women drivers when buying a new car

Top Ten car breakdown tips for women drivers

Cars break down in the summer as well as in the winter, letting us down in traffic queues, on motorways, en route to important business meetings and when driving back from the local supermarket with young children in tow (and often a bootful of frozen food).

To survive what is always a stressful motoring experience, here are FOXY's Top Ten Tips with your personal safety at the top of the agenda at all times.

1. Be prepared - always carry a fully charged mobile phone containing telephone numbers of emergency contacts, a local map, a first aid kit and hi-visibility clothing. Include food, drink, suitable footwear and blankets during the winter and whenever heading off the beaten track.
   
   
2. Stop somewhere safe - given enough warning, drop your speed, switch on your hazard lights and where possible either turn off a main road or pull over on a straight stretch of road.
   
   
3. Wherever possible, always exit a motorway rather than pull up on the hard shoulder. When absolutely unavoidable, use the hard shoulder and try to stop near an emergency phone, parking with your wheels turned to the left ie away from the traffic.
   
   
4. Leave the car by the passenger door side. Anything within half a metre of the white line on a hard shoulder/lay could be struck by passing traffic.
   
   
5. Display your emergency triangle at least 45 meters behind your car (BUT NOT ON MOTORWAYS)
   
   
6. Don't wait in the car on a motorway, busy main road or dual carriageway. Even if it is raining, get all occupants out as you are at risk of being hit from the rear or involved in an accident. Wait in a safe place away from traffic - if necessary climb up an embankment and over any crash barrier.
   
   
7. NEVER attempt to repair a car by a busy roadside.
   
   
8. NEVER attempt to retrieve lost loads or tyres from busy roads/motorways.
   
   
9. NEVER cross motorway lanes.
   
   
10. Ask your breakdown insurer/contact to keep you informed of rescue progress and to give you a contact name and number in case you have any concerns while waiting. Most breakdown services use the same network of UK recovery agents so it's reassuring to know the name of the one that has been authorised to rescue you.

Needless to say, prevention is always better than cure and a well maintained car is not just safer but it's much less likely to break down too. Always make sure your car is well fuelled and get your battery checked before winter time because more than half of all cold-weather car breakdowns are caused by flat batteries.

FOXY BUYING ADVICE - when shopping for breakdown insurance cover for women drivers, aim to pay a maximum of £30 for a basic recovery service and be sure to study and compare the small print. When it comes to renewal time, check again as some of the leading names may try to use this as their opportunity to claw back their initial discounted offer.

Top Ten moneysaving tips for women drivers

These motoring tips and advice will help you save money running your car, reduce CO2 emissions and enjoy female friendly garage services that are among the very best in the UK.

How you drive can conserve fuel

The less fuel our cars use the less CO2 they emit and the less money we spend on fuel. Luckily it is easy to reduce CO2 emissions by adopting simple driving techniques and you'll quickly see your reward in terms of lower fuel bills!

1. Plan routes in advance. Try to avoid known traffic hotspots at times of the day when you're likely to sit in a queue. Check that your satnav is taking you the shortest way - the quickest route is often a lot longer.
   
   
2. Watch your speed. Travelling at between 50 and 60mph means your emissions will be lowest, whilst motoring over 70mph can increase them by as much as 25%. Surprisingly perhaps, driving at less than 15mph creates the most pollution.
   
   
3. Make efficient use of your car's engine. Why not combine several short journeys into one? Always drive off as soon as you switch the engine on, switch it off in traffic queues and as soon as you reach your destination.
   
   
4. Drive smoothly. Over-revving, energetic braking and harsh acceleration will all drink up fuel. Always use the correct gears to avoid straining the engine.
   
   
5. Remove any extra weight. Removing unnecessary clutter can improve fuel consumption by up to 2%. Take off an unused roof rack, for example, and you could save a further 2%.
   
   
6. Turn off air conditioning. Your air conditioning system can reduce fuel efficiency by a massive 8%.
   
   A happy car needs to be maintained and serviced on a regular basis
   
   
   
7. Check the condition of your tyres. Get into the habit of looking at your tyres every time you approach the car. Just a glance is likely to identify a flat tyre and, if you don't drive on the tyre, it is more likely to be repairable. Also, you are more likely to spot kerb damage, bulges or under-inflation before they become a danger. If you do detect any damage, drive the car slowly to a repairer straight away. Once a month, at least, you should check that your tyres are correctly inflated because you can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 3%. Over or under inflated, they could fail when you need them most, can wear out quickly and will then need replacing sooner than they would otherwise. Not only are tyres VERY expensive, far too many end up in landfill which is a bad thing for the environment.
   
   FOXY tyre fitting tip: The majority of modern cars are driven by the front wheels and, as most of the braking effort is supplied by the front tyres, they wear out much more quickly than the rear tyres. In fact, rear tyres wear so slowly that it is common for them to be scrapped because of sidewall deterioration rather than tread wear, which is an avoidable waste. When your front tyres need replacing, ask the fitter to move the rear wheels to the front and put the new tyres on the rear. That way, you will always use all the tread you buy.
   
   
8. Check and top up your oil level regularly. Too much oil is bad and too little means serious damage ahead; parts will start to fail, your car will let you down more often and bills will start to escalate... If you top up your oil yourself, always check the car's handbook/manual and use the right grade for your car; many need specialist oils for good reason. Make sure the car is parked on level ground and with the handbrake firmly applied. Wait for five minutes after the engine has been run to allow the oil to drop back into the sump; otherwise, there would be a danger of overfilling. Top up a little at a time and allow a few minutes before checking the level on the dipstick for the same reason. When replacing the dipstick, give it a firm push to make sure it is correctly located in the tube. Keep receipts as evidence of doing the job properly. Your oil and the oil filter (which traps any damaging debris) should be changed regularly; see your car's handbook, typically once a year as a minimum but twice a year is recommended.
   
   FOXY oil disposal tip: Always dispose of engine oil correctly. Your local amenity tip will offer the facility free of charge to domestic users. The waste oil is processed and used as fuel for power stations and blast furnaces among other things. On no account should this oil be poured into the drainage system or any hole in the ground.
   
   
9. Get your maintenance checked by the professionals on a regular basis. To be sure that your car is safe, kind to the planet, reliable and cheaper to run FOXY recommends you ask a garage professional to check that you (or whoever might do this for you) has done the job well enough and not missed any safety issues. Many businesses offer free safety checks but you need to know that their 'free' offer does not then become a hefty bill! FOXY membership comes with a package of free quarterly Car Fitness Checks worth £60. They are carried out by FOXY approved female friendly garages who will look at your tyres, oil, coolant, lights, emissions and seasonal items like your battery, antifreeze and air conditioning system.
   
   
10. Do your homework about the best garages in your area. Always look for evidence of quality not just a friendly receptionist or a convenient location. To find out more about this important safety issue, read FOXY's Garage Services Guide at female friendly garage services website FOXY Choice.

A further reassurance for women drivers is that all FOXY garage partners have signed the female friendly FOXY Promise which reassures women drivers that they will 'never knowingly overcharge, patronise or sell women services they do not need or want'.

Top Ten Tips for women drivers when buying a new car

Car shopping should be fun and we should be spoiled during the experience. But the reality is that it's often a stressful experience where two main players, the customer and the salesman size up to each other to get the best possible deal. And the salesman isn't always thinking about you, he is often thinking more about his commission. Buying a new car is like playing a hand of cards. You should not play your best cards first so it's best to say little until you have all the information you need to negotiate the best possible deal. Remember that no salesman (or woman) is going to point out model weaknesses in favour of another manufacturer nor are they likely to offer you their best price at the outset.You have to do your homework first to know your choices, be prepared to haggle and willing to exercise the ultimate veto by walking away if the deal isn't good enough. Here are FOXY's Top Ten new car Buying Tips to help you get a great deal in a new car dealership.

1. Do your homework online Even if you think you know the car you want, do your homework to confirm it still has one of the best specifications in its category. Visit manufacturers websites and download model brochures for your homework. Identify your shortlist by list price and any must-have features. If you want to maximise the resale value and hold depreciation at bay, choose one of the smallest cars with an engine that's man enough for the job, comparing mpg, CO2 emission ratings, VED and the insurance group (the lower the better – groups number from 1 to 20) for motoring economy.
   
   
2. Check out the reliability of the cars on your shortlist. How likely is each car to need repairing and how much is this likely to cost? See www.reliabilityindex.co.uk to give you an idea of current costs.
   
   
3. Compare the safety record of your car at the National Car Assessment Programme www.euroncap.com. See if it has ESP (a stability programme that is one stage on from ABS.). The safest cars have a 5-star children protection rating, a 5-star adult protection rating and a 4-star pedestrian protection rating to date.
   
   
4. Having identified your dream car and the essential features you require (for example parking sensors, anti-skid stability control, automatic transmission, diesel vs petrol, big boot, eco-model) check the price online using one of many discount websites. You then have an idea of the target discount to aim for in a local car showroom. Have a list of questions you need answering and use this trip to see if you can find someone you trust and then want to do business here.
   
   
5. Don't buy in a hurry. Sample the initial price deal and the showroom service and retire to consider your buying strategy. By all means take a friend or family member with you. If you feel the salesman is patronising you ask to deal with the Manager. Some dealerships employ female sales staff if you would prefer to deal with a woman.
   
   
6. NEVER be seen to fall in love with a car in the showroom. The salesman will be delighted, this will weaken your negotiating hand and you will inevitably pay more than you would do otherwise!
   
   
7. ALWAYS take a lengthy test drive and by all means ask if this could be overnight and the car delivered to your home. If you don't ask you won't get and this is the manufacturer's chance to demonstrate their superior service levels. Either way, invite a friend to come with you. A third person alters the negotiating dynamics and your friend could be tasked to check out the onboard and boot space, driving and passenger seat and ride comfort.
   
   
8. Now you know what you want to buy, do more homework online. If you want to sell a car, find out how much it is worth from one of the many competing websites and remember that this price can vary. You should also investigate any insurance and/or finance deals online too so you have all your negotiating ducks in a row, so to speak.
   
   
9. When doing the dealership deal, keep discussions as simple as possible. Don't let the salesman confuse you with a smoke and mirror deal, tying in part exchange and finance. Don't introduce part exchange complications for starters and remember that the dealer will be keen to sell you a finance deal because he'll earn commission on it. If you want to buy finance, it needs to be good and you might be able to do better than you found online! You will now have a good idea of all your financial choices and be able to perm the best combination to suit your needs.
   
   
10. Come D-Day (new car delivery day that is) take time to check everything carefully and if there are any faults, sign nothing. Check that everything works and ask the dealer to show you all around, from how to open the bonnet/boot and fuel cap to the workings of any gadgetry such as remote controls, parking sensors and audio/SatNav equipment. If it's too dark or too wet to do the job properly just make a note on the paperwork to this effect; in case you find a fault the next day. If you are unhappy with your car in the first few days, discuss any problems with the Dealer Principal. For advice you can contact the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) OFT-approved Advisory and Conciliation service at either 0870 751 8270 or by visiting http://newcars.motorindustrycodes.co.uk.

Finally you are invited to keep FOXY Lady Drivers Club informed of any good or bad car dealership experiences so they can share this feedback to help other foxy ladies get a better deal and a more female friendly car shopping experience in future.

FOXY Lady Drivers Club can help you save time and money when it comes to running your car. You can also count on female friendly services, jargon free advice and someone to turn to if things get stressful. A lifetime FOXY Classic subscription costs just £23 including a £3 donation to the Cancer Buddies Network charity. Membership services include FOXY approved female friendly garages; FREE car safety checks; car insurance discounts; moneysaving offers; a friendly technical helpdesk; FREE legal advice about road traffic law and a FREE 'no fault' accident assistance service.

FOXY Lady Drivers Club | 35 Goring Road | Steyning BN44 3GF
Tel: 01903 879988 (if ansafone please leave a message or use email)

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See above for correspondence address. FOXY Drivers Limited, trading as FOXY Choice and FOXY Lady Drivers Club, is registered in England & Wales No 5071266 with registered offices at The Courtyard, Beeding Court, Steyning, West Sussex BN44 3TN. FOXY Drivers Limited is registered for VAT, number 841 3841 35.