APRIL 2019 | 37
Motoring
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
WHEEL DAMAGE FROM
POTHOLES SET TO REDUCE
Beleaguered British motorists suffering the scourge of pothole damage have been given a lifeline
following prestigious approval of a wheel protection system designed in the UK by AlloyGator.
Many motorists won’t need
telling but research has estimated
that as many as four out of five
cars on UK roads have damaged
alloy wheels, many of these by
hitting a pothole.
However, AlloyGator believes
this number of damaged wheels
will drop dramatically as more
motorists see the benefits of
having alloy-wheel protection
following recent stringent testing
and approval of its award-winning
wheel protection system in the
Czech Republic by TÜV SÜD, glob-
ally renowned for product testing
and safety compliance.
However, despite motorists
being offered a solution to protect
their wheels, a survey has indi-
cated that millions of cars in the
UK are being driven around with
four out of five
‘ cars
on UK roads
have damaged
alloy wheels
’
scuffs and scrapes to their alloy
wheels.
Made from super-tough nylon,
the AlloyGator wheel protectors
are available in a range of colours
and are designed to fit between
the wheel rim and the tyre, pro-
tecting the wheel and reducing
the risk of damaged caused by
scuffs from kerbs and potholes.
AlloyGator Exclusive wheel
protectors are available as sets or
singles, and can be purchased with
professional, five-star fitting from
the company’s website. AlloyGator
also offer an official fitting kit and
handy step by step instructions for
those people fitting them them-
selves.
www.alloygator.co.uk
DRIVERS UNAWARE OF RULES ABOUT
SERVICING AND VEHICLE WARRANTIES
Almost half of Britain’s car owners (44 per cent) believe that getting their car
serviced by an independent garage will invalidate their warranty, despite a
change in the law nearly 15 years ago that prevents this from being the case.
The statistic was un-
covered by nationwide
servicing and repair chain
Halfords Autocentres,
which surveyed over 22,000
motorists via the Halfords
Autocentres Roadworthi-
ness Quiz, which tests
drivers’ knowledge of car
maintenance and motoring
laws.
The Block Exemption
Regulation introduced by
the European Union in
October 2003 means that
a vehicle’s warranty is no
longer invalidated if a car is
serviced at a non-franchise
dealer, if manufacturer-ap-
proved parts are used. That
means car owners have
greater choice when it
comes to getting their car
serviced, including at a Hal-
fords Autocentre.
The Roadworthiness Quiz,
part of Halfords Autocentres
Roadworthiness Week, also
found that 40 per cent of
drivers are unaware of new
MOT legislation that came
into effect in 2018, which
tests items such as diesel
particulate filters, reversing
lamps and dashboard warn-
ing lights.
This comes as little
surprise as DVSA has re-
vealed more than a million
motorists have failed the
MOT test due to danger-
ous defects, since the new
rules came into force in
May 2018.
Other statistics the quiz
uncovered were that 40
per cent of drivers had no
idea what the minimum
legal tread depth on their
tyres was and couldn’t
correctly identify the date
stamp on their tyres to tell
how old they are. A further
22 per cent believed that
there was no law against
driving with an empty
screen wash bottle, but
this could lead to a fine
of up to £1,000 and three
penalty points.
The Halfords Roadwor-
thiness Quiz features 11
questions aimed at testing
drivers’ knowledge in a
fun, interactive format,
which also aims to help
road users understand
some of the newer or less
well-known Motoring laws.
It can be found at www.
halfordsautocentres.com/
advice/news/quiz-how-
roadworthy-are-you
As well as vehicle main-
tenance tips, motorists can
also test their knowledge
of road laws and safety.
www.halfordsautocentres.
com/car-care/free-
safety-check