Good Garage Scheme Supports Tyre Safety Month

"Don't chance it, check it" is this month's message from road safety charity, TyreSafe.

The campaign has been supported by research by the charity that reveals more than one in four motorists are replacing their tyres when they were already illegal, the equivalent of over ten million illegal and dangerous tyres on Britain’s roads!

The tyre tread depth survey involved 800 tyre retailers from across the UK surveying 340,000 tyres and comes alongside findings from the DVSA that annually, 2.2 million fail their MOT due to tyre-related defects.  The Good Garage Scheme is lending its support to the campaign, encouraging motorists to get their tyres and cars professionally checked in this year's Tyre Safety Month.

Good Garage Scheme workshops across the UK can offer motorists peace of mind by providing an expert assessment of their vehicle’s tyres and overall condition. The legal minimum tread depth for cars in the UK is 1.6mm throughout a continuous band comprising the central three-quarters of breadth of the tread and around its entire outer circumference. In wet weather tyre tread grooves help to remove water from the contact patch between the tyres and the road surface, allowing the car to brake, steer and accelerate properly. Without adequate tread depth, the tyres may not be able to perform properly in wet conditions, reducing safety on the road.

Anndi Sheppard, the Good Garage Scheme’s Marketing Manager, comments: “Tyre safety and the need to raise awareness of the importance of carrying out regular tyre checks are important issues that every motorist needs to be aware of. The Good Garage Scheme is pleased to lend its support to this year’s Tyre Safety Month. Arranging a tyre and vehicle check with a Good Garage Scheme member is a simple way to put your mind at rest and ensure your car is safe and reliable as the weather begins to change this autumn.”


Visit www.GoodGarageScheme.com and enter your postcode to find your local Good Garage Scheme workshop offering a vehicle check. Many Good Garage Scheme members offer online service booking, making it even easier to arrange a check or service for your car. In addition, smartphone users can download a free iPhone or Android app to help them locate a nearby Good Garage Scheme workshop anywhere in the UK.


Watch Tyresafe's video here with a simple guide on how to check your tyres and why it's important.

New budgeting solution takes the headache out of car servicing

Having a safe, reliable and economical family car has now become essential for almost every household, be it for the school run, getting to work or the weekly grocery shop.

However, keeping a car well maintained can also be costly, especially at a time when incomes are under pressure. With this in mind, the Good Garage Scheme  has introduced a Good Garage Scheme Service Plan to provide motorists with a simple and flexible means of budgeting servicing and MOT costs throughout the year through interest-free monthly instalments.

Good Garage Scheme Service Plans are inflation-proof and ensure that the price of parts, labour and oil is fixed for up to three years. The new plans are available to suit each driver’s needs with a choice of plans for interim and standard servicing with or without an MOT and are inclusive of parts, labour and VAT according to clearly defined terms and conditions.

Setting up a plan is easy: Motorists just need to visit www.GoodGarageScheme.com and choose the member garage and plan that best suits their requirements. Then, when the time comes to book a service, it can be arranged at a participating Good Garage Scheme member workshop with the peace of mind that there will be no unexpected bills to pay once the servicing is complete.

Both new and used vehicles can be serviced as part of the plan and depending on the car’s engine size, can be arranged for one, two or three years. The plan can also be easily transferred and any costs easily adjusted if a driver changes their car. No membership card is required and motorists can view their plan details and balance securely online, as well as cancel their plan at any time.

Why not spread the cost of your car servicing and MOT payments just as you would with other household bills?

Visit GoodGarageScheme.com.

 It's like having a friend in the know.

Hands-free Calls at the Wheel on the Rise

Brake, the road safety charity is renewing its call to ban hands-free kits, as its recent survey reveals that almost half (45%) of drivers admit to chatting when driving. While the use of hand-held phones by drivers has dropped, hands-free use has risen, likely to be linked to the mistaken belief that it is a safe alternative.

While the number of motorists who admit to talking on a hand-held phone when driving has dropped, hands-free use has risen by 16% in the last eight years.

Brake believes that the lack of a total ban has left many drivers unaware that using a mobile hands-free at the wheel is just as risky as using one hand-held.


It is the distraction of the conversation that causes the danger. Studies have shown the risk of being in a crash that causes injury is increased four times for drivers on both hand-held and hands-free phones with reactions 30% slower than driving at the UK drink drive limit, and 50% slower than under normal conditions.

Brake and Direct Line's survey also found that texting at the wheel is a widespread menace, with 30% of all drivers admitting sending or reading messages while driving, and an even higher proportion of young drivers (age 18-24) doing so.

Brake's advice to motorists:

Using a phone and driving is a deadly combination and no call or message is ever worth a life. Drivers should put phones out of sight, earshot and reach when driving to avoid temptation, ideally in the boot. On long journeys, take regular breaks and use these to check messages or make calls.
Hands-free is a not a safe option; it's just as dangerous as using a mobile hand-held because of the mental distraction of the call.
Everyone can make a difference by refusing to speak to someone on the phone who's driving; politely but quickly end the call if they're at the wheel – it could save their life.

Follow Brake on Twitter:  @BrakeCharity

The Good Garage Scheme would like to thank the road safety charity, Brake, for its contribution to this week's blog. For more information about the work that Brake do and further results of the survey related to this article, please click here.

1 in 14 motorists admit to taking 'selfies' while driving

Confused.com research shows that 1 in 14 motorists (7%) admit to having taken a photograph while driving and 4% also use the social media app of the moment - Snapchat - to send photos to friends while at the wheel. The price comparison website also discovered that in a recent 30-day period, 287 tweets were tagged with #drivingselfie and #drivingselfies.

In addition, 36% of motorists admit to using their mobile phone when driving, mainly to make or answer calls (75%) and send or check texts (43%). Yet, despite so many flouting the law, only 8% say they have actually been caught by police using their phone behind the wheel. And, of those who have been caught, 57% admit to continuing to use their phone while driving after their brush with the law.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) director of policy and research Neil Greig said: "Research shows that it is simply not possible to use a mobile phone in any way whilst driving and stay safe no matter how confident you may be in your driving ability. This seems to be another form of peer pressure to take part in the latest trend and the best way to avoid it is to give young people the skills to stand up for themselves and not follow the herd and post silly photographs online. It is also really worrying that many drivers caught using a phone are not learning the lesson. The IAM want to see more traffic police out there catching bad drivers but this survey would seem to suggest not even that will stop those addicted to using their smartphones."                                                                 

The Good Garage Scheme would like to thank the Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM) for this week's guest post.

Top Feedback Awards 2013

The scores are in and the Good Garage Scheme is pleased to congratulate member garages who have received the most feedback from their customers in 2013.

For the second year running, top prize goes to Lockwood & Greenwood in Ashton-under-Lyne who received an incredible 763 feedbacks during the year. They also collect the award for the Regional Winner for 2013 as well. Congratulations to the team at Lockwood & Greenwood with over 3800 customer feedbacks in total.

Feedback is at the heart of the Good Garage Scheme. It is useful for the garage to be thanked for a job well done and also very useful in helping them to improve their business. From the motorist's point of view, it helps them to make an educated choice as to where they will take their car.

The Good Garage Scheme congratulates all Regional Winners on a fantastic achievement.
East Anglia Regional Winner:  Car Care of Kensington, London
East Midlands Regional Winner: RM Services, Loughborough
South West Regional Winner: Surecar Ltd, Bristol
South Wales Regional Winner: G & J Starkey, Stourbridge
Scotland Regional Winner: Bishopton Hiring Garage Ltd, Bishopton
North West Regional Winner: Lockwood & Greenwood, Ashton-under-Lyne


Customers of Good Garage Scheme members have three easy ways to leave feedback after a service or repair:

• Send it on a free postcard via Freepost
• Enter it online
• Send it via the Free Good Garage Scheme App 

Visit www.GoodGarageScheme.com to fine a Good Garage Scheme member near you.

Leave Feedback And Win

Having a service or repair carried out at a Good Garage Scheme member garage may not cost you a penny.

Every customer who leaves feedback with comments after having had work done at a Good Garage Scheme member garage is in with a chance to win the cost of the service or repair back*.

It couldn't be easier, and there are three ways to leave feedback:

1. Fill in a feedback card you receive with your documentation.
2. Visit the Good Garage Scheme's website
3. Download the Good Garage Scheme's free App and leave your feedback there

There are over 629,000 feedback items from previous customers listed on the Good Garage Scheme website so that motorists can make an educated decision before they take their car to a garage for a service.

The Good Garage Scheme will award two lucky customers up to £200 each for the cost of a service or repair this year.

Visit GoodGarageScheme.com to find a garage near you.

*Terms and conditions apply. The winners will receive up to £200 for the work carried out.

Maria McCarthy Promotes Good Garage Scheme

Motoring journalist, Maria McCarthy, is the spokesperson for the Good Garage Scheme's Winter Check national radio campaign, which begins today and urges motorists to be safe as the days get shorter.

Maria will be on the radio with the likes of BBC Scotland and LBC (London's Biggest Conversation) Radio answering questions about the importance of having your car checked and knowing where to find a Good Garage Scheme member if you need one.


With the clocks going back this weekend and darkness on its way, it’s crucial that drivers and their vehicles are prepared for the dangerous driving conditions ahead of them.

Visit www.GoodGarageScheme.com to find a local garage offering a Winter Check.

Maria McCarthy has written The Girl's Car Handbook: Everything You Need to Know about Life on the Road and The Girls' Guide to Losing Your L-plates: How to Pass Your Driving Test.

Maria is a regular commentator on motoring matters on BBC Breakfast News and News 24, GMTV, Radio 5 Live, Woman's Hour, You and Yours, and Jeremy Vine.

For more information about Maria McCarthy, visit www.mariamccarthy.co.uk.

MOT Repairs Costing UK Motorists Billions

According to recent research from Allianz Your Cover Insurance, two in five cars fail their MOT test every year in the UK. Motorists are then reported to pay more than £2 billion in repairs and the cost of a second MOT to get their vehicle back on the road.

Here are the Top 5 reasons vehicles didn’t pass their MOT according to Allianz Your Cover's research:

• Damage to tyres (28%)
• Problems with the exhaust (17%)
• Windscreen wiper blades need replacing (14%)
• Defective headlights (12%) 
• Brake lights not working (10%)

Not only do these items cost motorists money in MOT bills and repairs, but damaged tyres and dysfunctioning brake lights are a real danger to all motorists. These are items that car owners should regularly check, but most of us lead busy lives and do not find the time.

Your local Good Garage Scheme member would be happy to check your tyres, lights, windscreen wipers and exhaust and advise if any need replacing. Simply visit www.GoodGarageScheme.com and find a local trustworthy garage. The Good Garage Scheme website has over 600,000 customer reviews so that you can read feedback from previous customers before you visit.

It's like having a friend in the know!

More Motorists Download Good Garage Scheme's Free App

The Good Garage Scheme's TV ad appearing on SKY TV this week has really caused a stir.
Not only has the website been busy, but the number of motorists downloading the Good Garage Scheme's free app has increased by over 200%.

 

In fact over 200 motorists have downloaded the app in the first three days of the campaign.
The Good Garage Scheme's television ad shows a motorist searching for a Good Garage Scheme member on her iPhone and it is as easy as it looks. If you haven't seen the Good Garage Scheme ad for yourself, please visit www.goodgaragescheme.com/tv-advert.

To download the Free Good Garage Scheme app for your smartphone, simply visit www.GoodGarageScheme.com/smartphone-app and follow the links to download the free app available for android devices and iPhones. It's peace of mind for the next time you need to find a garage you can trust, wherever you travel in the UK. 

It's like having a friend in the know!

Good Garage Scheme to Appear on SKY TV

With the catchphrase ‘It’s like having a friend in the know’, the latest Good Garage Scheme advertising campaign will run on SKY television from 13th to 24th of May. The advertisement will appear over 300 times during the two week period reaching millions of viewers.

The new campaign follows previous successful campaigns on ITV 1, ITV 2 and DAVE, reminding motorists how easy it is to find a garage they can trust for their next service, repair or MOT. After all, a car is probably the second most expensive item owned by a consumer after the home. Why not shop around for someone you can trust to look after it?

Simply add your postcode or town name to www.GoodGarageScheme.com to find a garage near you. You can then view feedback from previous customers to help you make the final decision. With over half a million feedbacks online and thousands of garages across the UK, there is sure to be a garage to suit your needs.

Anndi Sheppard, Marketing Manager of the Good Garage Scheme, said: “Our previous  advertising campaigns have been major successes in both raising awareness of the Good Garage Scheme and generating business for members. We are confident our latest campaign will help us build on that success in reaching the widest possible audience.”

The Good Garage Scheme was launched in 2006 and is now widely accepted as a mark of quality for independent garages across the UK. Good Garage Scheme garages are recognised as providing exceptional service to their customers based on a rigorously monitored mandatory code of practice. 

Why not download the Good Garage Scheme's free app for the next time you need a service, repair or MOT? It's like having a friend in the know.

94% Answered "YES"!

Great news! The Good Garage Scheme's most recent poll of over 1300 motorists reveals that 94% DO know where to find the dipstick in their cars. We are hoping that means that those motorists are regularly checking their oil but suspect this may not be the case.

"Do you know where the oil dipstick is located on your car?"

Oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle and checking the oil is easy and quick. If you are unsure of how to check your oil, please see the Good Garage Scheme's handy guide below.


Step 1:   With your car parked on level ground, warm your engine up to operating temperature, then  stop the engine long enough for the oil level to settle.

Step 2:   Lift the bonnet and pull out the dipstick

Step 3: Wipe the dipstick clean, then replace.

Step 4:  Remove dipstick again and read oil level - ideally the level should be between the minimum and maximum markers.

Step 5: If the oil level is close to or below the minimum marker then your oil needs topping up.

Please note: Top ups must be with the correct Grade of engine oil for your vehicle. Check your manual for further information.

If you still feel you'd like to leave it to a professional, simply visit your nearest Good Garage Scheme member garage who will be happy to check for you.

Unused Air Conditioning Systems Top the List for Driver Concerns

Seventy-three per cent of motorists think their unused air conditioning systems are the part of their cars that require the most "TLC" after a long winter.

The remarkable figure comes courtesy of a recent customer poll by the Good Garage Scheme, which asked over 3,300 motorists what parts of their cars they think require extra "TLC" after the cold winter months. Unused air conditioner came out on top as the motoring nation’s biggest concern; 62% more saying that they are worried about their cooling system rather than their engine. Tyres (6%), windscreen wipers (5%) and brakes (4%) also made the final list.
 
Poorly maintained air conditioning systems can amass harmful mould and bacteria through periods of disuse that has been linked by medical professionals to ill health, symptoms of influenza and even Legionnaires' disease – a potential killer!
 
Legionella bacteria are widespread in nature, mainly found in air conditioning and cooling systems which spread droplets of water over a wide area. Circulating water droplets in air-conditioning and cooling systems, cooling towers and evaporative condensers have been proven to cause such side effects as a high temperature, cough, muscle pains, headaches and in more extreme cases, pneumonia, diarrhoea and mental confusion.

 

Dr Sarah Jarvis, television GP and blogger at Patient.co.uk, said: "We all value our health, but in our busy lives it’s all too easy to forget that overlooking simple maintenance tasks can put our health at serious risk. Legionnaires' disease is a potentially fatal lung condition which can be spread through air conditioning systems, whose warm water provide an ideal breeding ground for the bacteria that cause it. These days, most cars are equipped with air conditioning systems – and they need proper maintenance to keep them safe. Look online at Patient.co.uk to find out more about Legionnaires' disease and how you can avoid it."
 
Anndi Sheppard, Marketing Manager for the Good Garage Scheme added: “The results of our latest poll show that a significant number of motorists are concerned about their air conditioning systems. Fortunately, there are thousands of Good Garage Scheme members able to offer a Spring Check and offer peace of mind going into the warmer months.”
 
To find a garage offering a Spring Check, visit http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/spring_check and enter your postcode or town name.