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Driving test
Until 1935, anyone who wished to drive a car on the public roads simply had to go down to their local council offices and pay three shillings for a licence. The Motor Vehicle Regulations Act at least required drivers to demonstrate a very minimal level of competency behind the wheel before they took possession of their licences. The driving test was suspended during World War II, but reinstated post-war bar a year out for the Suez Crisis.
The test has got more demanding over the years: besides executing emergency stops and parallel-parking manoeuvres, new motorists now have to also pass a written test on their knowledge of the Highway Code and a computerized Hazard Perception test. Well, with millions of cars now on the roads, there has to be some quality-control of their drivers. Further measures are also currently afoot to require older motorists to undergo more stringent health checks, for example, and to restrict teenagers from carrying passengers at night-time. In the near future, the driving test and licence procedures will be brought into line across Europe. Photocards (first introduced 1998) will become compulsory and eventually, our licences will probably hold biometric data, like passports.
Until 1935, anyone who wished to drive a car on the public roads simply had to go down to their local council offices and pay three shillings for a licence. The Motor Vehicle Regulations Act at least required drivers to demonstrate a very minimal level of competency behind the wheel before they took possession of their licences. The driving test was suspended during World War II, but reinstated post-war bar a year out for the Suez Crisis.
The test has got more demanding over the years: besides executing emergency stops and parallel-parking manoeuvres, new motorists now have to also pass a written test on their knowledge of the Highway Code and a computerized Hazard Perception test. Well, with millions of cars now on the roads, there has to be some quality-control of their drivers. Further measures are also currently afoot to require older motorists to undergo more stringent health checks, for example, and to restrict teenagers from carrying passengers at night-time. In the near future, the driving test and licence procedures will be brought into line across Europe. Photocards (first introduced 1998) will become compulsory and eventually, our licences will probably hold biometric data, like passports.
MOT test
Introduced in the UK to much trepidation in September 1960, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) test was intended to ensure minimum safety standards for cars on Britain's roads.
Passing an MOT test might not guarantee that your car is going to be reliable, or certify that it is well-maintained, but the yearly inspection does prompt us all to make some effort to replace bald tyres, worn brake pads, frayed windscreen wipers and blown headlight bulbs. The test also picks up on basic suspension and steering faults, rust which could affect a car's structural integrity, faulty seatbelts and so on, as well as setting increasingly strict standards for exhaust emissions. Some testing stations may be more lenient than others and the system is open to abuse, but really, all the above has to be a good thing for public safety.
Introduced in the UK to much trepidation in September 1960, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) test was intended to ensure minimum safety standards for cars on Britain's roads.
Passing an MOT test might not guarantee that your car is going to be reliable, or certify that it is well-maintained, but the yearly inspection does prompt us all to make some effort to replace bald tyres, worn brake pads, frayed windscreen wipers and blown headlight bulbs. The test also picks up on basic suspension and steering faults, rust which could affect a car's structural integrity, faulty seatbelts and so on, as well as setting increasingly strict standards for exhaust emissions. Some testing stations may be more lenient than others and the system is open to abuse, but really, all the above has to be a good thing for public safety.
PCPs
No, not the drug commonly known as 'angel dust', but Personal Contract Purchase plans, a type of hire purchase finance agreement that keeps the motor industry afloat.
You pay your deposit, a fixed sum each month for an agreed time-period and, at the end of that time, either pay up a lump sum to buy the car outright, hand the car back, or use it as the deposit on your next new PCP-financed motor.
It's not necessarily the most cost-effective way to buy and run a car (personal loans are usually cheaper) and there are caveats over mileage and condition of the car, but most manufacturers run low-interest, deposit-paid or cashback deals for people signing up and many dealers are open to haggling over terms.
Effectively, it's a low-hassle way to keep the status-conscious in a brand new car every three years or so.
No, not the drug commonly known as 'angel dust', but Personal Contract Purchase plans, a type of hire purchase finance agreement that keeps the motor industry afloat.
You pay your deposit, a fixed sum each month for an agreed time-period and, at the end of that time, either pay up a lump sum to buy the car outright, hand the car back, or use it as the deposit on your next new PCP-financed motor.
It's not necessarily the most cost-effective way to buy and run a car (personal loans are usually cheaper) and there are caveats over mileage and condition of the car, but most manufacturers run low-interest, deposit-paid or cashback deals for people signing up and many dealers are open to haggling over terms.
Effectively, it's a low-hassle way to keep the status-conscious in a brand new car every three years or so.
Warranties
In the bad old days, it was common for new mainstream-market cars to break down, rust and generally decay very early in their lifespan, and you were lucky if you got much sympathy from their manufacturers.
By the 70s, the UK's Consumer Goods Act tightened things up a bit and you at least got a one-year guarantee from the carmaker and some chance of getting your new car fixed without too much hassle.
The Americans, and specifically, the Japanese carmakers' American sales' divisions, led the way, however, seeing the possibilities of the warranty as marketing tool: three, five and now even seven-year guarantees are now offered over there. The Korean and other Far Eastern car-makers are now vying to offer the most extensive and long-lasting customer reassurances as a means of attracting buyers to newly-introduced and somewhat downmarket brands.
The usual caveats still apply, though: most companies will try and duck responsibility if your car's been serviced outside their official network (whatever the EU regulations say), if you bought it abroad, or if it's had any modifications. Beware also the difference between EU-wide manufacturer warranties, which often cover only the first year of a car's life, and dealer-supplied warranties for the next year or two, which have far more exclusions.
In the bad old days, it was common for new mainstream-market cars to break down, rust and generally decay very early in their lifespan, and you were lucky if you got much sympathy from their manufacturers.
By the 70s, the UK's Consumer Goods Act tightened things up a bit and you at least got a one-year guarantee from the carmaker and some chance of getting your new car fixed without too much hassle.
The Americans, and specifically, the Japanese carmakers' American sales' divisions, led the way, however, seeing the possibilities of the warranty as marketing tool: three, five and now even seven-year guarantees are now offered over there. The Korean and other Far Eastern car-makers are now vying to offer the most extensive and long-lasting customer reassurances as a means of attracting buyers to newly-introduced and somewhat downmarket brands.
The usual caveats still apply, though: most companies will try and duck responsibility if your car's been serviced outside their official network (whatever the EU regulations say), if you bought it abroad, or if it's had any modifications. Beware also the difference between EU-wide manufacturer warranties, which often cover only the first year of a car's life, and dealer-supplied warranties for the next year or two, which have far more exclusions.
WD40
Like gaffer ('duct') tape, WD40 makes the world go round. Spray it on your spark plugs or up the coil to induce a dodgy starter, down the side of sticking electric windows, inside keyholes... it's the most useful lubricant since KY Jelly. And if you're a petrolhead, leisure-time mechanic, tuner, tweaker or one-man racing car team, probably even more fun. Unless you're into Swarfega... but that's another story.
Like gaffer ('duct') tape, WD40 makes the world go round. Spray it on your spark plugs or up the coil to induce a dodgy starter, down the side of sticking electric windows, inside keyholes... it's the most useful lubricant since KY Jelly. And if you're a petrolhead, leisure-time mechanic, tuner, tweaker or one-man racing car team, probably even more fun. Unless you're into Swarfega... but that's another story.
