TyreSafe Awards 2018

On Thursday 12th July, the UK’s Tyre Safety Awareness charity, Tyre Safe, will be hosting the Tyre Safe Awards 2018. The free-to-enter awards are open to any company that has made a contribution to raising awareness about tyre safety issues at any time in the previous year. Entries closed on 27th April. The awards will be presented at The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Wishaw in the West Midlands. Changes for the 2018 Awards For the 2018 awards, Tyre Safe has introduced a new structure that is tiered to better represent differing sizes of tyre retailers. All new categories for wholesalers…

Tyre Buying Guide: How Do I Know Which Tyres Are Best For My Car?

Every driver will need to buy tyres for their car at some time or other. However, not many drivers know what size or type will suit their needs best. You can always gain the help of a trusted tyre specialist, and of course we recommend this route. However, background reading on the subject won’t hurt when it comes to explaining to the technician what you need. Before reading this tyre buying guide, think about how often you drive, where you drive and the number miles per year you complete on your journeys. The Best Tyre Manufacturers Since the dawn of…

UK driving laws continue to be updated but what does this mean for drivers?

Five significant changes are set to make their way into UK motoring laws in 2018. Here’s how to avoid the penalties and fines and remain squarely within the law. MOTs are Changing May 20th sees changes to the MOT test come into force. Firstly, any diesel car that has its Diesel Particulate Filter removed or tampered with will instantly fail the MOT. High definition headlamp bulbs (an aftermarket part) are also set to be outlawed. Reversing lights will also begin to be tested and required to be fixed if found to be out of order. Cars over 40 years old…

Top 10 Car Maintenance Mistakes That Drivers Make

You may have the best intentions in the world to save money and be proactive with your car maintenance, but if you’re making basic mistakes – or worse, ignoring maintenance altogether – you could be causing untold damage to your vehicle. Thankfully, Universal Tyres is here to point you in the right direction of the top 10 car maintenance mistakes that you should avoid. Ignoring the Engine Warning Light If the timing is inconvenient or you are mid journey, it’s tempting to ignore the engine warning light. ‘It will go away’ is common parlance when it comes to all warning…

How Potholes Can Damage Your Car

Now that spring is around the corner, every driver should be actively avoiding potholes forming in the roads across Britain. As the ice and snow melt away, the base layer of a road is disturbed and the surface in certain areas is weakened. Because of this, potholes are abundant and you can only avoid them for so long. If you drive over a particularly bad pothole, you should check the tyres and wheels of your car and be aware of any changes in the car’s handling characteristics. This is the safest way to ensure your car hasn’t been excessively damaged…

Tyre puncture repairs: Are they safe?

As Britain is ravaged by the harsh winds of February and tree debris becomes more common, there’s just one question on motorists’ lips – are tyre repairs safe? The demand for tyre repairs increases every winter and it’s often a tyre technician’s job to explain why a tyre repair can mend a tyre to make it good as new. Here, Universal Tyres will go into more detail about our industry leading tyre repairs service. Regulation Regulation is a large part of why you should trust a tyre repair. If a tyre technician has recommended a repair over a replacement, this…

MOTs: UK motorists aren’t prepared to do basic checks!

It would seem that 1 in 10 of Britain’s motorists are shy about car maintenance. As research by LV discovered, over 1 in 10 admit they are not happy carrying out checks or basic car care before their MOT test. Even though most drivers know a quick look over their vehicle could save them time and money, more than half of surveyed motorists are reluctant to check their headlights and indicators are working. Lights were the number 1 cause of instant MOT failures in 2016, accounting for 18.9% of all test fails. This is just a portion of the 35.3%…

Child Safety: Car Seats and the Dos and Don’ts

Child safety seats are a grey area for many parents and while you want to keep your child as safe as possible while riding in the car, it can be hard to understand the rules and recommendations regarding child seats. Thankfully, we’re here to spell it out in black and white. So, without further ado here are the dos and don’ts of child safety seats.   The law and child safety seats To abide by the law, your child must use a child car seat up to the age of 12 or 1.35 metres tall. Children over this age and…

How to correctly defrost your windscreen

We’re now in the thick of winter and to avoid costly accidents, it’s worth knowing how to safely defrost your windscreen. Making this part of your morning routine through the colder months will ensure you stay safe on the road, even when you’re up against the icy side of mother nature. Here’s our top tips on how to correctly defrost your windscreen. Use lukewarm water If you’re using water to defrost your windscreen, never use boiling water. This is because the temperature differences are too extreme and will cause the windscreen to expand too quickly, leading to a crack. You’ll…

Pets in cars are costing owners £1000s in fines

The cat’s out of the bag with this one. It’s been a long time coming but drivers are finally feeling the full force of the law where travelling with their pet is concerned. Those who forgo properly securing their dog or cat in their vehicle are being slapped with fines of up to £5000, thanks to a new drive to enforce Rule 57 of the highway code. The Law Rule 57 of the Highway Code specifically states: ‘When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or…