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Driving licences were first handed out in the UK in 1903 – but it wasn’t until 1935 that the official driving test came into force. It’s been through a few changes since then (there are a few of the older members of our team here at Big Motoring World who remember when hand signals were still a part of the test!). It wasn’t until the 90s that reverse parking became a part of the test, and 1996 before the theory test came in. A new raft of changes are now due – and ...

Here at Big Motoring World, it’s something we’ve heard people say before: “All the best drivers fail their tests a few times.” Whether or not failing your test a number of times before finally passing actually makes you a better driver or not, we don’t know – but recent research suggests that there’s a curious link between being highly qualified and not passing first time. A qualified success The research was carried out Privilege DriveXpert, and the res...

Are we there yet? Anyone who has had the dubious pleasure of spending a long journey with a car full of tired, bored children (or who remembers the experience as a child), will know that it can be an arduous experience. So, with the summer holidays upon us, here at Big Motoring World we thought it would be good idea to share some tips to get you through your next road trip with the little ones. Prepare for the worst Accidents happen – drinks get spilled, food gets smeared over faces, and p...

Will self driving cars go the way of the long promised, but never really delivered hoverboard? Here at Big Motoring World we’re pretty sure not - judging by the amount of investment that the big companies are putting into researching, developing and now testing these cars, you can be sure we’ll be seeing them on the roads sometime soon. State of play So where do things currently stand with driverless cars? Well, here in the UK they’ve already been out and about, being tested on...

We’re not huge fans of tolls here at Big Motoring World. It’s not about just the inconvenience of having to break your journey to search in your pocket for some change from time to time - for motorists who have to use tolled routes regularly, the cost can become prohibitive. Taking a toll Tolls feel like a brake on free movement and can impact negatively on people’s ability to commute regularly or run their businesses. So, the broad agreement by most of the leading parties duri...

‘Iconic’ is a word that gets seriously over-used - these days everything from buildings to haircuts are given the label. But here at Big Motoring World we’re quite happy to use it for vehicle as legendary as the traditional black London cab - a car so distinctive that you could tell it from its outline alone. It’s been a fixture on London’s streets since the Austin FX4 was introduced in 1958, but its current version has been coming under increasing pressure to adapt...

Have you noticed how nothing ever seems to get cheaper? We certainly have here at Big Motoring World - which is why we thought it would be a great idea to share a few money saving tips with you in this blog. Rising costs We were struck by a shocking statistic recently - that with recent rises in road tax, drastic hikes in fuel prices and rising premiums, almost half of the UK can’t afford to have a car. Research shows that motorists in the south east of England alone spent a total of aroun...

We’re huge fans of alternative fuel vehicles here at Big Motoring World - and it seems that customers are increasingly open to industry innovation in this area. Sales of AFVs (which include everything from pure electric vehicles to hybrids) hit 4.4 per cent in June this year in the UK - higher than ever before. Clearly, alternative fuels are going to be a big part of our motor industry’s future - but judging by some of the things we hear from customers here at Big Motoring World the...

It’s been a good 130 years for the internal combustion engine - but its days may now be numbered. Here at Big Motoring World we were certainly intrigued by the recent announcement from Volvo that from 2019, all of their new models be powered by electric motors - but what does it really mean for the industry? An electric revolution The company plans to launch five brand new models - all fully electric - 2019 and 2021. The big news is that while the company will still produce some hybrid veh...

A couple of big news stories caught our eye recently here at Big Motoring World. One was the announcement by Volvo that they will only be launching new hybrid or electric cars from 2019 (you can read more about this in our other post this week), and another that the new French president Emmanuel Macron’s government has promised that diesel and petrol cars will be banned in France by 2040. Serious business They’re both significant, not least because it shows just how seriously the ind...

We’re huge fans of the Goodwood Festival of Speed here at Big Motoring World - to be fair, find us a keen petrol head who isn’t. A celebration of speed It’s a real highlight of the year for many of us - but for those of you who have never had the chance to take part, it’s an annual celebration of everything that is most exciting about motorsport - a coming together of the fastest, the loudest and some of the most legendary names in the racing game. The event began relati...

Speed kills - that much we know. The faster you’re travelling in your car, the less time you have to react and the more likely it is that if you do hit someone or something, the results will be exponentially more serious. Breaking limits So, here at Big Motoring World we were very interested to read some official Department for Transport research that suggests that as many as eight out of ten UK drivers broke the speed limit in 20mph zones. Interestingly, the research showed that these are...

Here at Big Motoring World it seems to us that there are at least a couple of very good reasons for the decline in the UK’s new car market in May this year. Uncertain times Firstly, as the uncertainty around Brexit and the General Election in June swirled around, many potential car buyers simply decided to hold off buying a brand new vehicle until things have settled down politically. Now, with a hung parliament and Brexit negotiations underway, it will be interesting to see if the polit...

The car industry is currently largely dominated by men – and so occasions like Autocar’s Great British Women in the Car Industry event make us hugely proud here at Big Motoring World. They are a welcome opportunity to celebrate the encouraging signs of a more gender diverse future to come. A chance to shine Autocar describes the event as a chance for the industry to shine a light on those women in the motor industry who already have reached the highest levels in their profession ...

Here at Big Motoring World, we were really pleased to hear about a new feature on the latest iPhone software that we hope will really make a difference to driver safety. The Do Not Disturb for Driving feature on iOS11 is specifically designed to prevent people from being distracted by messages while they’re on the road. Do not disturb We’ve talked in previous posts about the dangers of drivers using a mobile - whether handheld or hands-free - and the impact it has on the reaction...

They say that a week is a long time in politics - if so, the last 12 months must have felt like an eternity for many. Political upheaval It’s been a period of real political turmoil, both in the UK and abroad, with a string of elections and surprise decisions that have made predicting what might happen in the next 12 months almost impossible. With the unexpected vote for Brexit and now a shock General Election result on June 8 that has created a hung parliament, there is a growing feel...

  It’s now something most of us do now without thinking - you climb into your car, reach for your seatbelt and buckle up. And if you’ve got kids, then obviously you’ll do the same for them. Making sure that you and your passengers are safely restrained while you’re driving is second nature. A high price to pay But what about your pets? For many people, taking their dog in their car with them is just a matter of asking them to lie down on the back seat and throwi...

We all know that driving while holding a mobile phone is both highly dangerous and illegal. And since May, getting caught using a non-hands free phone now brings with it a set of even tougher punishments  - with the penalty now doubled to a £200 fine and six points on your licence. New research Here at Big Motoring World we obviously think that coming down hard on people who hold their phones while driving is common sense - but new research led by a team from the University of Iow...

Would you like to work with some of the biggest car brands in the industry? If so, then the good news is that becoming an MOT tester could be the role you’re looking for. MOT testers are in big demand at the moment, and there are currently well over 2,000 jobs on offer. As cars have become more and more complex, and increasingly reliant on advanced electronics, the role of MOT tester is one that nowadays requires far more than purely mechanical skills. A new breed Talking to the Sun n...

In our last news blog we talked about the rising costs for motorists and the increasing financial pressure on commuters in terms of parking charges, fuel rises and maintenance. Add to this the frustration and boredom you feel spending hours stuck in traffic, and it’s hard to see many positives for commuters. Beating the jams So imagine a world in which getting to work - in your own car - is a quick, efficient and relatively painless experience. A future in which avoiding the jams is as...

The fleet industry knows a thing or two about motoring costs - after all it’s firmly in their business interests to keep a close eye on where life is getting more (or less) expensive for motorists. Here at Big Motoring World the rising costs of keeping your car on the road are an ongoing concern. So, with that in mind, a recent survey by online parking service YourParkingSpace.co.uk makes for some interesting reading. Rising costs The study reflects a hunch that many of us have probably h...

  While of course none of the team at Big Motoring World have ever lost their cool behind the wheel, we know it’s something that many other drivers have experienced. Breaking point Whether it’s due to tiredness or impatience, being late for an appointment or getting distracted by screaming kids in the back seat, sometimes it’s all to easy to lose the plot when you’re driving. And while of course there are degrees of road rage - from honking the horn to intimida...

With the UK General Election now only a few weeks away, the three main parties have been busy laying out their plans for their differing visions of Britain. And while Brexit and the economy dominate much of the agenda, the politicians are also doing their best to win over motorists. So what are the different parties promising to deliver, if they win power? Making our roads safer Roadworks are firmly in Labour’s sights, as well pledges to eliminate road deaths completely and axe the Severn ...

There is a growing crisis on the roads of England and Wales: potholes. The state of our roads is getting worse, as anyone who has driven (or ridden a bike) on them recently can testify. Serious damage Research also backs up the feeling that many of us have that the situation is deteriorating. The physical damage caused by our vehicles hitting pot holes is taking its toll, and is reflected in recent figures from the RAC. Broken suspension springs, damaged shock absorbers and distorted wheels are ...

Here at Big Motoring World we were encouraged by the government’s recent announcement that outline their proposals to cut air pollution in the UK. A growing problem The issue is a huge one - the Royal College of Physicians has said that air pollution can be linked to around 40,000 premature deaths each year. And while air quality has clearly improved since the middle of the twentieth century, the UK has struggled in recent times to stay on the right side of EU limits. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2...

As motorists, we’re probably all fairly comfortable with the idea of vehicle security. At Big Motoring World we’re no different – we lock a car’s doors when we leave it unattended, and we use immobilisers and alarms to protect the vehicle from thieves. And at the same time, we’re all becoming more and more conscious of cyber security at home - we’re careful about what we download onto our computers and phones, and are cautious about who has access to our priv...

It’s been a firm favourite of the team here at Big Motoring World for a long time and of course for many people it’s a recognised national treasure - the humble MINI is a true icon of the motoring world. The little car has now had its legendary status confirmed, after being named ‘Best British Car of All Time’ by a panel comprised of CEO’s from the country’s top manufacturing companies and leading motoring industry experts. The ultimate small car The competiti...

  While many people are sceptical - and maybe even a little nervous - of the idea of driverless cars, at Big Motoring World we’re excited about the possibilities of this incredible technology. There’s been some real progress in this area over the last few years - despite a number of high profile setbacks - and it now looks like driverless cars are all set to arrive on the UK’s roads and motorways in the very near future. Oxbotica are a firm who develop the sophisticated ...

Drivers who routinely speed will soon find that it really isn’t worth it, as speeding fines are set to go up by 50 per cent for the most serious offences. According to AutoExpress, new laws came into force on 24 April 2017. The legislation is aimed squarely at those who commit regular and serious speeding offences, with the aim of reducing accidents at high speed. The average fine in 2015 for speeding was £188, and courts sentenced 166,695 offenders. So, while British drivers tend ...

The practical driving exam for learner drivers in the UK will be undergoing various changes towards the end of this year. In order to bring the test further in line with modern driving behaviour, the test will undergo tweaks which will be effective from 4 December 2017. So, what can you expect as a learner driver? Four Main Changes to Driving Test The four big changes are: Outdated manoeuvres like reversing around a corner will be shunted, in favour of more common manoeuvres such as reverse ...

Flip flopping on their message isn’t exactly new for governments over the years. And when it comes to diesel car emissions, they’ve been true to form. While UK drivers were once encouraged to drive diesel cars thanks to the assumption that they caused less damage than petrol, it turned out that this wasn’t quite the case. Penalties for driving diesel ensued causing a fair amount of outrage among those who followed earlier advice. Suggested diesel scrappage scheme So, the recen...

There are many ways that technology has transformed car ownership, and one of the biggest is the rise of the EV. Electric cars have quickly become more accepted as a viable option for UK drivers. And this means that more EVs are now on the second-hand market. But is it worth buying one? And if you do, what should you keep an eye out for? Is a used EV right for you? It can’t be denied that there are lots of reasons to look into buying a second hand EV, including lower prices, reasonable mil...

If you haven’t heard by now that the British government recently introduced new car tax rules, you’ve been living under a rock. It’s been clear for a while that these new rules could make owning a car more expensive for some people, but new research has shown just how bad it could be for some drivers. Big Motoring World asks: how will new car tax running raise your costs in future? New rules The new car tax rules are set to bring sweeping changes. Under the new system, if you ...

Car insurance is a necessary evil – you’ve got to have it just in case something goes wrong with your car, but it can be insanely expensive, hitting your wallet hard every single month. But there’s one tactic that could really help you save a lot on car insurance, so keep reading to find out what it is… Premiums rollercoaster It’s clear, given what’s going on in the world right now, that living costs are rising. And unfortunately car premiums are going up to...

Breaking down on the roadside is a lot of peoples’ worst nightmare. What if you could predict a breakdown before it happened, so you could get your car sorted ahead of time? Now you’ll be able to, as breakdown insurance provider AA has launched a new technology which can do exactly that! Breakdown cover If your car goes caput while you’re on the road, it can prove costly. You’ll have to pay, among other things, to get experts to come out and either fix your vehicle at th...

Driving is really rewarding, as it gives you the freedom to go anywhere you want in the UK in just hours. But there are some things about driving that get on even the most patient of motorists’ nerves. Big Motoring World looks at recently released research to ask: what annoys British drivers the most? Biggest annoyance We Brits really believe that we’re the best drivers in Europe. But new research commissioned by RAC suggests that when we say this we’re probably referring to j...