Tips and Blogs

With high fuel prices, MOT, tax, regular maintenance, and unexpected repair costs, IAM Roadsmart knows how expensive owning a car can get – and, in these uncertain times, many drivers are looking for ways to cut their motoring costs.

Accidents and breakdowns are more common in the winter when road conditions are challenging and with a cold snap forecast for parts of the UK, now is the time to check your vehicle is ready for the road.

Are you planning a romantic road trip this Valentine’s Day? Or maybe a family getaway over half term? Whilst planning your route, packing your bags, and making sure your home is secured before you set off, do you make sure that you and your car are fully prepared for your long drive?

With the cost-of-living crisis impacting many of us, IAM RoadSmart is looking at ways motorists can keep costs down without compromising on safety. Making small changes to the way we drive or ride and look after our vehicles can add up to big savings.

As we head into 2023, new year’s resolutions are often at the forefront of our minds. We might want to cut down on junk food, exercise more, spend more time with the family or finally kick that bad habit. But how about a new adventure?

What do you do when you need a holiday after a couple of years being stuck at home because of successive Covid-19 lockdowns? You drive to the Arctic Circle of course! That was exactly what IAM RoadSmart member Zak Southwood, and his girlfriend Darcy McGowan did at the start of this year; fulfilling Zak’s long held ambition to take the trip to the outer reaches of Europe.

When we started planning our trip to the Isle of Wight, I was more focused on making sure we had everything for the trip, forgetting that the charge on the car would be vital.

In this the second of IAM RoadSmart’s series of expert driving tips, Head of Driving & Riding Standards Richard Gladman, takes a closer look at safe motorway driving.

Richard Gladman has written the second part of his experience of owning an electric car. "Part two sees me using the EV for an Examiner Quality Assurance assessment, and luckily for me the assessment is for the examiner who lives closest to me. A couple of days without any business-use and the car, if charged to the recommended 80% at cheap overnight rates, should see me do a day’s work without charging."

At 24 Rebecca had been driving for several years, so what did she gain from taking the IAM RoadSmart Advanced Driving Course last year? Confidence, more enjoyment out of driving, improved observation skills and tools to aid concentration.