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The first lockdown produced shocking levels of speeding in the UK!

  • 56% of cars exceeded the speed limit on 30mph roads
  • 53% of cars sped on motorways
  • 12% of cars admitted to speeding on national speed limit single carriageway roads

Let’s take you back to April 2020 – the pandemic has struck, the whole country is in lockdown, most individuals are either working from home or furloughed, and the UK roads are emptier than they ever have been…

New data released by the Department for Transport has shown that more than 50% of cars and vans that graced the UK roads in the first lockdown, went above the speed limit through towns and on the motorways. Compared to 2019, vehicle speed compliance for both cars and vans has decreased, with the percentage of drivers speeding increasing in all areas.

A statement from RAC road safety…

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said:

“It’s clear that some drivers dangerously took advantage of quieter roads to drive far faster than they would do in normal times. What’s particularly concerning were the levels of non-compliance on 20 and 30mph roads, many of which are in residential areas and close to schools.

“If traffic volumes don’t return to pre-pandemic levels, it would be terrible if the lockdown legacy was an increase in the number of drivers who consistently speed.”

What does this mean for vehicle maintenance services?

As many of you already know, an increase of speed will put extra strain and pressure on different parts of the vehicle, meaning more frequent maintenance will be required to keep the vehicle in a roadworthy condition.

For example, driving over the speed limit means a driver’s reaction time will be reduced, which is likely to lead to late and sudden braking. This places a lot of strain on the braking system, wearing out your pads and discs, alongside the tread on the vehicle’s tyres.

It can be assumed then with the increase of speed on UK roads, garage services will be required more often, and you need to ensure your garage is able to cope with the extra demand.

 

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The need to educate customers on why they must check their engine oil…

Regular checking of your car oil is essential to the mooth running of your vehicle.Do you check your engine oil? How often? Do you meet the manufacturer’s recommendations?

From a recent study conducted by Kwik Fit, here are some shocking stats:

  • One in five (19%) UK car owners never check the oil that is running in their car
  • Some three million people (8%) admit to not knowing how to check their oil
  • 11% admit to knowing how to do it, but never do
  • Over three fifths of drivers (62%) say at least 3 months go by between oil checks
  • 8% leave at least a year between oil checks

These figures are quite frankly shocking, and they don’t stop there! Comparisons between sexes and age groups clearly identified some obvious differences…

  • 2% of male car owners said they did not know how to check their oil, but this increased to one in seven (14%) among female owners.
  • 10% of drivers aged 18-34 stated they were unsure how to check their oil level, compared to a lower 6% of drivers aged over 55

The aftermarket industry must do its bit…

Anyone working within the automotive trade knows that checking your vehicle’s oil is essential to a smooth-running performance and is an easy way to monitor the health of the engine.

Whilst it can be easy to blame the driver for not knowing how to perform such checks, as a garage, do you educate your customers on why checking their oil is important?

For many UK drivers (especially those in the younger age groups), that lack of knowledge and lack of experience could be the difference between checking their oil regularly or not. Outlining the importance of the annual service and sticking to the manufacturer’s recommendations is also a great way to get car owners to be more conscious of any upcoming maintenance.

Sharing your knowledge also demonstrates a level of expertise to the driver, creating a confidence in your services and therefore, the driver will more likely return to your garage for future work.

It is that simple!

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Significant concerns over delayed vehicle servicing across the UK!

Over a year on from the beginning of the UK’s first lockdown, the knock-on effect of the global pandemic is causing some concern over the safety of passenger vehicles. The latest research by heycar suggests, as many as 7.3million vehicles on the roads have not been serviced for over a year.

One in five drivers (22%) have stated that they have delayed their vehicle’s servicing due to lockdown.

Although most manufacturers continue to recommend drivers to get their vehicle serviced every year, it seems that a further one in ten (12%) are also going to delay their next service – the question remains, how long will it take for drivers to get these vital checks done before there are serious incidents on the UK roads?

Senior editor at heycar, Dan Powell:

“The prospect of meeting friends and families indoors for the first time this year will see millions of us jumping in our cars to visit our loved ones.

“But our analysis has highlighted a significant concern – that there could be as many as 7.3million vehicles on the roads that have not had a service in over a year.

“Servicing a vehicle is critical to keeping it running well and reducing the risk of road accidents, and we would urge all drivers to ensure their vehicles are in optimum working order before they hit the roads this summer.

“And for those who are planning to buy in the coming months – by being able to provide full service and MOT histories alongside warranties the nation’s dealerships can offer welcome reassurance to customers that their new purchase can be trusted.”

You can play your part…

While servicing can be delayed indefinitely by any vehicle owner, MOTs remain compulsory and is a necessity if drivers wish to continue to use their car on the roads. This means only one thing – customers need to bring their car to your garage!

This allows a golden opportunity for any garage owner or employee to encourage the vehicle owner to get the required servicing and reduce the number of cars that haven’t been serviced on our roads.

 

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American Two Post Lifts redesigned for the UK & European garage equipment market!

Over the years, Tyre Bay Direct has been lucky enough to build strong relationships with different suppliers from across the industry, to bring you one of the most comprehensive offerings for any fast fit tyre shop or tyre bay.

In fact, we don’t think there is such a diverse range of budget-friendly to premium tyre machines, or price conscious consumables range, anywhere else in the market!

And it’s down to these relationships that we can continue to grow our product offering, introducing brand new equipment that is exclusive to the ISN Garage Assist garage equipment group.

Championed electro-hydraulic lifts…

It is well-known across the world, that the Americans perfected the use of the electro-hydraulic lifts; brands such as Atlas Auto Equipment, known for quality tyre fitting equipment at affordable prices, have continued the development of vehicle lifting equipment.

The US market has always been renowned for dealing with bigger vehicles, consequently, the market demands high quality and robust garage lifting equipment to deal with such vehicles. Therefore, Atlas has been developing car lifts to deal with heavy lifting operations since its inception in 1982, making their brand one of the most respected and trusted vehicle lift suppliers in the US and now, the UK.

Raising their game for the UK…

Atlas Equipment has been a go-to supplier of garage equipment for Tyre Bay Direct, and we now bring to you the brand-new ATP9 and ATP10 Two Post Lift models.

Browse our brand-new Atlas lifts on our website now:

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Built for heavy-duty vehicles typical of the US market, the ATP10 European version of an American classic rightly carries the category of ‘Super-Duty’ in terms of its build quality, capability and 5500kg lifting capacity.

Both lifts come with delivery and installation with 2 years parts and labour warranty.

 

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Tyre Bay Direct’s garage equipment installations with a joined-up approach!

Did you know that Tyre Bay Direct is part of an elite group of companies that work side by side under ISN Europe?

By being a sister company to the likes of Hofmann Megaplan, ToolTruck UK and Atlas Platinum, Tyre Bay Direct, can offer an expert garage equipment and installation service through our relationship with ISN Garage Assist.

ISN Garage Assist is the go-to garage services provider for numerous garages across the UK, and their specialist team have been out and about completing some amazing installations of our garage machine range, such as tyre changers…

Discover our latest workshop equipment installs…

The ISN Garage Assist team of specialist engineers are highly trained and accredited by the GEA – so no matter what your installation needs, these guys will have your back!

Canolfan Prysor Centre, North Wales

The amazing sunshine over Trawsfnydd Lake when the ISN Garage Assist went for an install in North Wales.

The perfect Two Post Car Lift installation by the ISN Garage Assist engineers.

The team visited Trawsfnydd Lake in Wales to install an Atlas ATP9 one the brand-new Atlas Two Post Lift models now available in our range …and the views did not disappoint!

Firstly, the amazing sunshine over the lake makes this install an interesting prospect for the engineers compared to the standard garage; but to top the day off, the unbeatable sight of the perfect installation and the garage owner getting to grips with the lift straight away.

R&J Metals Ltd, South Wales

The ISN Garage Assist team crossed over the border to complete the full installation of garage equipment.

A great installation combining our budget tyre fitting equipment with the luxury of Hofmann Megaplan's alignment lift.

This installation saw the ISN Garage Assist team combine the luxury of a Hofmann Megaplan Geolift 4200 for alignment services, with the practicality of our Complete Start Package for everyday tyre fitting services.

R&J Metals in Neath, invested in our Redback tyre fitting equipment as it came with a set of consumables, tools & the full install package.

Cotswold Vehicle Solutions, Morton-in-Marsh

The perfect lifting solutions - a combo of the RB3000 Scissor Lift & Hofmann megalift 4000-3 two post lift.This garage was not messing around with their latest investment in Atlas tyre fitting equipment & Hofmann Megaplan wheel lifter.For extra features, reliability and value for money, the Cotswold Vehicle Solutions invested in expertly manufactured Atlas Auto Equipment tyre fitting machines.

Blended with the lifting capabilities of a Hofmann Megaplan 4000-3 2 Post Lift, WC200 Wheel Lifter and a Redback RB3000 Scissor Lift, this garage is clearly set up to complete jobs properly and wasn’t messing around in their latest investment.