Friday 23 December 2011

Happy Christmas wishes from the Good Garage Scheme

The Good Garage Scheme wishes you all a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.



 Travel safely and don't forget to download the
Good Garage Scheme App for peace of mind
wherever you travel this Christmas. Locate a garage you can
trust no matter where you travel in the UK.

Tuesday 20 December 2011

Don't Drink and Drive this Christmas - It's not worth the risk

The Good Garage Scheme hopes that everyone will enjoy the holiday season and remain safe on the roads. Whether you are driving to a party or hosting one, make sure everyone driving is safe to do so.
According to the THINK! campaign run by the Department for Transport,  250 people died in 2010 due to drink driving.  A person who drives after an alcoholic drink not only risks their own life, but those of the passengers and others on the road.

Any amount of alcohol affects an ability to drive and there is also risk a fine of up to £5,000, a minimum 12-month driving ban and a criminal record. The best way to remain safe is not to drink and drive.
 If you're planning to drink alcohol, plan how to get home without driving:

•    Agree on a designated driver
•    Save a taxi number on your phone
•    Find out about public transport routes and times before you go out
Time is the only way to get alcohol out of your system.

Make sure you are completely sober before you get behind the wheel. You could be over the legal limit many hours after your last drink, even if it's the 'morning after'. Sleep, coffee and cold showers don't help to sober you up.
Download the Good Garage Scheme App for peace of mind wherever you travel this Christmas. http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/phone_app

Thursday 15 December 2011

Good Garage Scheme visits BEN Care Centres

In 2010 the Good Garage Scheme began its support for BEN, the UK’s only charity for those who work, or have worked, in the automotive and related industries, as well as their dependants. More information about BEN can be found at www.ben.org.uk.

Good Garage Scheme staff recently visited two of BEN’s Care Centres with Christmas hampers for their staff and residents as part of the ongoing support for the automotive industry charity, BEN and the fantastic work they do.
Arthur Wilson House is the UK’s very first workplace day care centre and has provided high quality, individually tailored care for over ten years. It provides a safe and comfortable place where anyone with a connection to the automotive or related industries can leave an elderly relative to be cared for during the working day.  It also welcomes those who are more independent, but may benefit from socialising and taking part in organised activities and outings.
www.ben.org.uk/arthurwilson
Town Thorns is situated in a peaceful and rural location at the heart of ‘Motor Country’. The residents benefit from a wide range of care including nursing, residential, young disabled, dementia, day care, respite care and sheltered housing. http://www.ben.org.uk/townthorns
We wish all of the hard-working staff and residents of BEN care centres a Merry Christmas and look forward to working with you in the New Year.

Tuesday 13 December 2011

Driving in Winter - Don’t be Blown Away

According to the Met Office, the UK is set to experience some very windy, wintry weather in the next week or two and the Good Garage Scheme advises all drivers to take extra care on the roads.

Strong gusts of wind can surprise even the most experienced of drivers and motorists are particularly vulnerable on open stretches of road and when overtaking high-sided vehicles.

It is particularly important to keep both hands on the wheel if you need to drive during these conditions and keep your speed down too.

Keep a safe distance from high-sided vehicles and caravans wherever possible and take extra care around motorcyclists. These vehicles may be struggling with windy conditions.
There may be debris on the roads as well. Travel at a safe speed and be aware of any branches that could have fallen during high winds.

Windy conditions are often accompanied by heavy rain or sleet creating slippery conditions.
Periodically check your grip on the road surface by choosing a safe place to brake gently and test the conditions.

Always carry a charged mobile phone for emergencies and make sure your battery, lights and wipers are up to the challenges of winter.  Find a garage near you offering a Winter Check at http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/winter_check

Thursday 8 December 2011

Christmas Feedback Prize Draw Ends Tomorrow!

Don’t miss your chance to win a fabulous choice of prizes including an iPod touch, Blu-ray player, Nintendo Wii or Sat-Nav. The Good Garage Scheme’s prize draw ends on Friday, 9th December and the draw takes place on Friday, 16th December.  A lucky motorist will have a fantastic treat in time for Christmas.

Previous Good Garage Scheme winners in 2011 have chosen an iPod touch as their prize with the added bonus of downloading the Good Garage Scheme’s app.
Since its launch over five years ago, the Good Garage Scheme has gone from strength to strength, with member garages carrying out on average of over 67,000 services a month, generating feedback cards from consumers which is now close to a staggering 500,000 feedbacks listed on the website.

The feedback is at the heart of the Good Garage Scheme, allowing consumers the ability to make educated choices on where they take their cars and garages a valuable insight into their performance as seen through the eyes of the customer.


For your chance to win, be sure to fill in either a feedback card or an online feedback form with comments after your service or repair at a Good Garage Scheme garage.

Find a garage you can trust near you at www.goodgaragescheme.com

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Are you ready for snow and ice?

The UK has had its first snowfall of this winter. Have you got everything you need to cope with the unpredictable winter weather? The best advice for all drivers is to Be Prepared and Plan Ahead.

Keep an eye on the weather reports and give yourself extra time in the morning to de-ice the car. Wherever possible, plan your route via main roads as these will be the ones that are gritted first and safest to use.
Make sure you have at least half a tank of fuel in case you are delayed in traffic or in bad road conditions and keep boots, a warm coat and a charged mobile phone in the car for emergencies.

If you do become stuck in snow, move your vehicle slowly backwards and forward out of the rut using the highest possible gear. Revving your engine may only make the rut worse.

Make sure your battery, lights and wipers are up to the challenges of winter.  Find a garage near you offering a Winter Check at http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/winter_check

Thursday 1 December 2011

Are you driving less because of fuel prices?

Fuel prices are a hot topic of debate these days. With the welcome news that the Chancellor will scrap the planned fuel duty in January as well as the inflation increase in August 2012, we would like to share the results of a recent consumer poll.

The Good Garage Scheme has surveyed over 1300 motorists up and down the country in the last two months and found that 78% are driving less because of higher fuel prices.
The results of our poll are not surprising as consumers are trying to cut corners wherever possible. Walking and cycling are great alternatives, but if there is no other option but to use the car, the Good Garage Scheme offers handy tips on saving fuel.

•    Choose gears wisely – Over revving uses more fuel. Changing up a gear slightly earlier can reduce the number of revs.

•    Prevent idling – Being at a standstill for a long time consumes fuel unnecessarily. If you think you will be at a standstill for more than 3 minutes, simply turn off your engine.

•    De-clutter – A heavy load puts more pressure on the engine resulting in more fuel being used. Unload any necessary clutter, especially from the boot.

•    Abide by speed limits – We all know how tempting it is to exceed the limit on an open road, but higher speeds mean more fuel.

For more fuel saving tips, please visit http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/driving