The main reason given for jumping lights is because it is safer to get ahead of other traffic! At the same time over halfof cyclists think that cyclists should improve their behaviour by sticking to the Highway Code at junctions – poor road layout and junctions were a top concern for half  of the cyclists polled.

Seventy three per cent of cyclists ride on the pavement, with the top reasons being because the cycle path doesn’t join up completely.

Ninety-four per cent of cyclists have seen a driver cross an advanced stop line and 43 per cent said they would be less likely to jump red lights if advanced stop lines were more strongly enforced.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Cyclists are right to feel that roads are not cycle friendly enough, and this is reflected in their behaviour. But while poor junction design, inconsistent cycle paths and inconsiderate drivers put cyclists at risk, cyclists also have to help themselves.

“Changes to road layouts and junctions can improve safety for cyclists, but no junction will ever be safe for those who continue to jump red lights. It’s dangerous and illegal.

“The police need to enforce the law as strongly when cyclists put themselves and others at risk by jumping the lights, as they do for drivers. They also need to ensure that drivers are pulled up for crossing advanced stop lines that protect cyclists.”

If marketed and priced incorrectly, even a good car can become a huge financial liability. This is why – perhaps more than any other industry – car makers invest heavily in memorable (and expensive) advertising.

To remind us of their efforts, we present the 10 car adverts we think have been the most memorable of recent years.

Mazda 2: “Wall of Death”

This (new) advert takes the relatively ordinary Mazda 2 and makes it do something extraordinary: ride the “Wall of Death” – normally the province of stunt motorcyclists. It’s an amazing feat and a powerful testament to the abilities of modern cars.

Honda: “The Cog”

Who could forget this epic, clever and entirely brilliant ad for the Honda Accord. A symphony of precision animation and design, with a compelling message. Famously, the ad took over 200 takes to get right.

Volkswagen: If Only Everything in Life Was as Reliable As…

Back in the 1980s this brilliant, humourous, silent clip managed to tell a universal story and touched a nerve with car owners everywhere. Arguably, it was this ad that cemented VW’s reputation for reliability and continues to inform how it is perceived to this day.

Citroen: Picasso

In truth, a car such as the Citroen Picasso is a relatively humdrum vehicle and, like most modern cars, is designed and built primarily by computers. This ad cleverly turned the notion on its head to give the car a cheeky, artistic slant that helped make the Picasso one of Citroen’s biggest sales successes – stealing a big slice of the market from the hitherto unstoppable Renault Espace.

Audi: “Ugly Duckling”

This contemporary ad goes a long way to humanising Audi – a brand which in some regard is often seen as very clinical. It cleverly uses the format of a fairy story to remind us how far cars have come in terms of design over time.

Ford Focus: “Beautifully Arranged”

This brilliantly orchestrated (ahem!) ad featured a real life performance by musicians using custom built instruments made from Ford Focus parts. 21 instruments were created in all, especially for this advert, and the music too was written solely for the advert by film composer Craig Richey.

BMW: “It’s only a car”

This stunningly evocative ad tapped into the essence of the car’s appeal by subverting the commonly heard phrase “it’s only a car.” It helped to remind us why so many of us fall in love with our cars in the first place, and continued BMW’s long campaign to differentiate themselves from the herd.

Toyota Yaris: “You Could Love it Too Much”

Toyota ran a very successful campaign to promote the Yaris which played on the feeling that many people that a car is almost a “member of the family.” Overstating that sentiment for comic effect, the campaign helped Toyota establish the Yaris as a fun, cheeky presence and a big seller in a very competitive market sector.

Mercedes C-Class: Soul Like No Other

This timeless ad from Mercedes reminds us how every car has a history and a part to play in many lives (especially pertinent to us as a used car site!) In it, an old C-Class is sent to the crusher and we relive its life and history as seen through its windscreen. Strangely moving in many ways.

Volkswagen Polo: Small But Tough

This highly controversial ad was never show on TV – and for obvious reasons. Whether it was ever intended to be a real advert (and the production values suggest to us that it was) it was quickly disowned by Volkswagen but became a sensation on the internet. Whatever you might think of the very questionable politics that can be discerned in the ad, once you’ve seen it the shock value and humour stay with you long after more anodyne adverts have faded from memory.

What do you think? What’s your favourite ever TV car advert? Do car adverts really influence your buying decision? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

The report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), funded by the policy arm of the RAC, suggested a radical overhaul of road taxes was needed.

Fuel and Vehicle Excise duties (VED) raise about £38bn a year at present, and are rising, but are set to fall, the study says. Forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility predict tax revenues from duties will fall by £13bn a year, at current prices, by 2029, as cars become electrified and more fuel-efficient.

Although, the Treasury will surely adjust current tarriffs to reflect changes in the industry – they have already adjusted VED to reduce the number of small efficient cars that pay no tax, despite introducing the free tarriffs to encourage their use.

The Treasury said possible new ways of funding roads would not involve tolls or pricing on existing routes. Plugging the gap would require a 50% rise in fuel duty, according to the IFS. It recommends moving towards a nationwide system of road charging, including road tolls, to account for this loss of revenue.

The IFS says a solution would be to charge drivers by the mile, with higher pricing in congested areas at peak times. Drivers in the countryside would be likely to pay less.

The Treasury and Department for Transport are carrying out a feasibility study looking at “new ownership and financing models” for the roads, with the results due in the autumn.

Prime Minister David Cameron, meanwhile, has suggested that private money be used to improve England’s road network.

The government is consulting on charging tolls to motorists, following on from the existing M6 toll road.

It is also considering ‘shadow tolls’ where there is a fee to the road maintenance company per driver using a road, but paid by the government rather than drivers.

Under the plans, companies would lease motorways and trunk roads from the government, maintaining and perhaps improving them by adding lanes, for which – as long as they meet targets – they would be entitled to a share of road taxes.

An online petition against a national road pricing plan by the last Labour government secured two million signatures.

The England Team sponsor is offering a chance to travel to Ukraine or take part in a VIP match-screening in England, with an England legend.

Fans can take part in a Home or Away quiz based on England team trivia which gives the winner the opportunity to choose where they would like to watch the action this summer.

Peter Hope, Vauxhall’s Marketing Director, said: “As the England Team sponsor we wanted to offer the ultimate fan experience either at Home or Away this summer.”

Become a fan of Vauxhall England on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VauxhallEngland.

Car insurance is probably the biggest factor you will need to consider when purchasing a car for your child as it can be astronomical if you do not choose wisely. Other factors to consider are overall price of the car, its fuel efficiency, reliability and above all, safety.

It is also worth thinking about what the car will be used for. Does your child simply need a car to get out and about town, or will it be used to commute to a regular job? All these factors will make a difference to the amount of money your wish to spend. Read below for the Trusted Dealer’s guide to the top three best cars for teens:

Ford Ka: Prices from £1,970.00

The Ford Ka remains one of the most popular cars on the road. Ford is a reliable brand so you can expect to get a good return for your money when it comes to selling the car on. Car insurance for the Ford Ka remains lower than many other rivals thanks to the car’s excellent fuel economy achieved by its small but versatile dimensions. The Ford Ka is the perfect city runabout, and will even manage longer journeys with a reasonable amount of comfort. It seats up to four although leg and headroom in the rear is tight. Ford also offers a variety of options which enable buyers to personalise their Ka so that it is unique.

Peugeot 107: Prices from £3,750.00

The Peugeot 107 is another popular choice. It’s an attractive car which sports cheeky looks and a three-cylinder engine which exempts drivers from road tax because of its low CO2 emissions. It the perfect car to opt for if you’re looking for something to get out and around town in, but it’s not as good for longer journeys. It is offered in three of five doors and equipment levels are good, even on the basic model. It also receives a four-star safety Euro NCAP rating for added peace of mind. Running costs including insurance are low and you’ll find the car offers great quality for the money you’ll pay to own it.

MINI One: Prices from £5,150.00

The MINI One is not the obvious choice of car for a teenager as MINI cars are a premium brand and therefore cost more to purchase initially than other superminis. However, the MINI One falls into one of the lowest car insurance brackets and it is therefore an attractive choice for teenage drivers when it comes to running costs. It will also retain its value well so you will save money when you come to sell it on. The MINI One comes with a host of safety equipment and it is a fun, quirky car which also looks and feels great on the road.

Recently, we took this screenshot of  a ‘heatmap’. The principle is very simple: ‘hot’ colours like red and orange indicate where the most clicks are made on a page. Blue and green colours indicate the areas of a page which receive fewer clicks.

This image represents 25000 clicks on our search box from 5000 randomly sampled visits to the site during April.

As you might expect, most people search by make, model and postcode. What is interesting (to us anyway) is how relatively few people chose options such as mileage or fuel efficiency as part of their search. In fact, both mileage and fuel efficiency were chosen less frequently than even colour!

With fuel prices at a record high we’re surprised that this apparently doesn’t figure more highly in people’s search. With reports that electric car sales are ‘sputtering out‘ despite heavy Government subsidies for the new technology this suggests to us that the public are still unconcerned by green matters.

There are some alternative explanations of course: both engine size and fuel type are big search factors – and many people may assume that smaller engines or diesel cars might be an economic choice. In fact, the best cars in general for those concerned are the specific eco models such as the Polo Bluemotion or Ford’s Zetec ‘ecoboost’ models.

Perhaps, despite everything, initial purchasing price and external factors such as brand perception are still foremost in people’s minds, rather than the ongoing cost of driving to either their wallets or the environment.

The fact, of course, remains that the bulk of a car’s environmental impact is during its manufacture and that arguably, buying a used car is in fact a “green” choice in itself.

In the first endurance test of its kind in the UK by a car manufacturer, cheeky safari park baboons were let loose on Hyundai’s New Generation i30 hatchback.

The car has been specially-designed for families and their ‘little monkeys’ in the back, with extra strong materials used to build the interior, easy wipe plastics, tough fittings and a special high quality steel used for the bodywork.

Baboons from Knowsley Safari Park were chosen for their well-known love of tearing park visitors’ cars apart – most famously Wayne Rooney’s vehicle when he visited the Merseyside attraction last year.

And it was monkey business as usual when Hyundai parked its i30 family car in the baboon enclosure, as it was immediately besieged by dozens of the park’s primates. But 10 hours later the car emerged virtually unscathed.

The monkeys simulated the punishment that the children of a typical family subject a car to: jumping up and down on seats, pushing and prodding buttons and opening and closing storage bins. They even checked the durability of cupholders with plastic drinking beakers!

Outside, the paintwork was smeared and scraped, but the hard-wearing paint protected the car from significant scratches and chips.

Meanwhile, other baboons tested the fabric of seats by eating their lunch in the car and some played with their toys in the i30’s sizeable boot.

As well as confirming the robust quality of its New Generation i30, Hyundai hopes lessons learnt from the monkey tests can inform the research and development of future cars.

Felicity Wood, i30 Product Manager at Hyundai, said: “At Hyundai we believe in new thinking, which is why we decided to take a new approach with this durability test. You have to be pretty brave to subject a car to the most rigorous quality testers in the world, and the monkeys certainly gave our New Generation i30 a thorough examination! The fact that it survived with only a few scrapes is testament to the way a modern Hyundai is designed and engineered. We really do give a monkey’s about building tough cars!”

You can find nearly new Hyundai I30s for sale at Trusted Dealers.

Legislation unveiled in the Queen’s Speech will create a specific drug driving offence. Currently police have to demonstrate that driving had been impaired by drugs in order to prosecute.

Under the proposed legislation it will automatically be an offence to drive a motor vehicle if you have certain controlled drugs in your body in excess of specified limits. This will make it much easier for police to take action against drug drivers.

Devices to screen for drugs in the body are expected to receive type approval from the Home Office by the end of the year.

Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said, “We have an enviable record on road safety in this country and I want to keep it that way. This measure will help to rid our roads of the irresponsible minority who risk the lives of innocent motorists and pedestrians.”

An independent review of drink and drug driving law in 2010 recommended that a new specified limit offence should be developed. The exact drugs covered by the offence and the specified limits for each will be determined following advice from an expert panel and a public consultation.

The penalty for the new offence will be a maximum of 6 months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to £5,000, and an automatic driving ban of at least 12 months.

The luxury 4x4s were seized by Bedfordshire police while being loaded into a sea container in Luton. It became clear that they had undergone basic cloning, so they could go undetected until being shipped and CDL Vehicle information Services’ comprehensive database helped Hertfordshire Constabulary to achieve a great result as a part of Operation Ping Pong, which targets crooks involved in vehicle crime.

A spokesman for CDL Vehicle Information Services, who provide the data check service offred by many cars sites such as Used Car Expert commented: “Because we hold up to 60 fields of data for every vehicle registered in the UK – including whether it has ever been scrapped, stolen or clocked – we can often help in such cases. We work closely with the police, AVCIS (the Association of Chief Police Officers’ Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service), IAATI (the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators) and other interested parties.

“In this instance, our Police Liaison Officer personally handled the research and the data he provided proved vital. In a great result for Operation Ping Pong, four people were successfully convicted and further container-loads of cars were recovered, some of which were already en-route to East Africa. People who commit vehicle crime are often involved in other illegal activities and one of the men found guilty was reportedly wanted abroad for other serious offences.”

 A spokesman for AVCIS added: “There is an insatiable appetite for certain vehicles in Africa and the system for exporting by container ship is open to criminal abuse. This is increasing vehicle crime in the UK. If imported correctly into Africa a vehicle attracts a high degree of import duty, up to 80%, so illegally cutting out the tax represents a huge profit margin. At AVCIS we work closely with the shipping lines, freight forwarding companies and data holders, such as CDL, to identify containers carrying cars and to establish if these vehicles are what they declare to be.”

Trusted Dealers Top Tips

1. Buy from a reputable Franbchise dealer if you can to avoid cloned cars.
2. If you buy privately or from a dealer that doesn’t guarantee to complete a other history data check, get a data check yourself from someone like Used Car Expert.
3. Don’t leave your keys somewhere easy to find like the Hall table, as the most common way to steal cars is to steal the keys from easy-to-find and visible locations after breaking into a house

Ready2Repair has been designed to maximise repairers’ profits, strip out delays and delight customers, by encouraging the practice of sustainable repair.

During a typical repair, the first step is damage assessment following which, parts are ordered and the vehicle sits idle in the workshop with nothing being done to it and potentially preventing other cars being repaired. The practice of sustainable repair can prevent this dead time and meanwhile ensures that bodyshops get full value from the existing repair skills within the business. Results from an earlier pilot demonstrate that by choosing to repair rather than replace, key to key time can be reduced by as much as 50% and the cost of replacement parts by a similar figure.

Bodyshop Director at BP Rolls, Paul Smith, one of those who took part in the pilot is a keen supporter of the concept, “Repairing what can be repaired and returning the customer’s vehicle in an efficient manner should be the driver for all bodyshops. Managed correctly and with the right investment in people and equipment, this approach will improve your business, both in terms of customer service and profitability. Our key to key time has fallen from 10 days to 5 days in the last 18 months increasing our capacity to repair more vehicles.”

To support Ready2Repair, Thatcham have specifically developed training in the 4 key areas of Panel, Plastic Repair and Vehicle Damage Assessor. Each course is designed to cover essential repair processes within the chosen discipline and identify appropriate equipment that will enable technicians to repair non-structural areas of the vehicle, rather than waste time waiting for new parts and then fitting them.

Each course is also supported with exclusive access to specially designed repair recommendations, covering the most common repair scenarios on volume selling vehicles and demonstrating exactly where repair, rather than replace is appropriate, achievable and safe.

Lesley Upham, Commercial Director at Thatcham, said, “Ready2Repair is about harnessing and updating the existing repair skills of bodyshop technicians to ensure the business can gain maximum value from every repair job. It’s a very simple concept but brings a range of benefits for repairers, insurers and retail customers in terms of improved efficiency and less cost. The motorist will also gain as their vehicle will be returned quickly, having been safely repaired by fully trained technicians.”