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CVSL’s Summer Driving Guide

As the summer holidays approach and lockdown eases, we are set to enjoy more road trips and “staycations” this summer, swapping airports and planes for motorway services and cars. 

With the weather heating up, many of us are heading out on the road with families to explore and embark on a mini summer adventure.

So how can you make driving a breeze and ensure that you avoid breakdowns and drive safely this summer? Cars can get hot and stuffy for longer journeys even with great air-conditioning, and a large supply of water. To avoid delays and allow for breaks it’s always a good idea to prepare yourself, your car and your route before setting off.

Here’s our advice to help with the bigger challenges of summer driving and to ensure that the start of your trip is a great one!

Plan your journey ahead – Ensure that you check the weather, road conditions, and traffic –either via an online route planner or a mobile phone app providing traffic updates, local radio stations can also be helpful.  Allow plenty of time to get to your destination safely (although part of the mission of getting there is gathering all the troops together!). Avoid travelling back on a Sunday evening before a school term starts. And if you’re on holiday, but it’s a working weekday then plan your trips to avoid rush hour.

Essential car check – Basic checks before you set out can avoid unnecessary break downs during the journey. As a minimum, check the engine oil, coolant and screen-wash levels are correct. Check the car’s tyres for tread and pressure – make sure you have enough fuel too, keep your gas tank close to full whenever possible. Punctures are more likely to occur if your tyres are already damaged or they’re at the wrong pressure, the higher temperatures of summer will increase the risk of a blowout.

You can also apply all these safety checks that we previously mentioned here: https://www.cvsl.co.uk/blog/2020/04/

Avoid overheating – High temperatures can aggravate cooling system problems too. It’s important to check the coolant and cooling system regularly to avoid overheating.

Avoid glare –  Dazzle from the sun causes lots of accidents but you can reduce the effect by keeping your windscreen nice and clean, and by replacing worn or damaged windscreen wipers.

Stay alert – On long trips try to stop at some stage, to stretch, get something to eat, return calls or text messages, and change drivers or rest if you are feeling sleepy, even if it affects your arrival time to your destination – take breaks!

Car entertainment –  If you’re travelling with children, pack toys and games that will keep them occupied and reduce the chances of them distracting your attention from the road.

Drink up – Of the h2o kind of course. In general you should always look to stop in a safe place for food and drinks stops. As mentioned, avoid getting over-tired or dehydrated; take frequent breaks from driving.

Heatstroke – This mainly applies to children in the car. If it is a hot day and children are left unattended in a car park for instance even for a few minutes. Vehicles heat up fast, especially temperatures inside the car, even with the windows down. Think about any pets travelling with you too! They will need regular comfort breaks, a leg stretch and a drink. Never leave your pet in a hot car while you go to the services for example.

Cool Car – Keeping a regular supply of cool air circulating inside the car will help you stay comfortable and alert.

So there you have it. CVSL’s little guide to ensure that you are ready to drive this summer!

If you need help finding that perfect vehicle for your next trip get in touch.

CVSL are here for you

As you have a vehicle financed by CVSL, we want to keep you informed and updated on what we’re doing to support you in these challenging times. 

The team here is still operational and are working from home and now more than ever we just wanted to re-assure you that we are available for your enquiries and/or any concerns you may have. Don’t hesitate to contact our team on 0800 085 4256 or email us on sales@cvsl.co.uk 

We have also created a handy FAQ, which will hopefully answer some of your questions.
Issues relating to payments 
If you are worried about keeping up with your payments, please speak to a member of staff, who will assist you further and discuss options available to support you.
Repair, maintenance and tyre availability
Scheduled maintenance may have been postponed during the COVID-19 outbreak, however urgent repairs may still take place. If you are unsure about maintenance and/or repairs to your vehicle, please phone our team on 0800 085 4256, who will give you the appropriate advice on what action should be taken and remember to stay safe whilst driving. 
MOT guidance
The Government have confirmed that MOTs due after 30 March 2020 will be extended for six months and this will automatically update 3 days before expiry. If this doesn’t happen please email the DVLA with your registration number and your MOT expiry date – covid19mot@dvsa.gov.uk.  Despite MOTs being extended for 6 months, it is still your responsibility to keep your vehicle in a good working order as you could still be fined for failing to do so. 
Collection and delivery delays
As many manufacturers have either closed their plants or have seen delays with parts being delivered, there may be a delay in the delivery of your ordered vehicle. Here at CVSL, we will continue to keep our customers informed on delivery dates. 
Safety recall
Manufacturers are still helping with safety recalls – please contact your local main dealer for further details and advice. Alternatively, if your main dealer has closed, contact your DriverLine for support. Do not drive if the vehicle is a recall car, you can contact CVSL if you need to discuss a particular case. Non-essential upgrades or updates that the dealerships can make during a service are not essential and can wait until government restrictions on movement are lifted.
CVSL are still here to help
Despite uncertain times and our delays in getting back to you, which we know is frustrating, please remember that we are here for you, and be reassured that we are doing everything that we can to support you, we appreciate your patience.

CVSL know this is an extremely difficult time for everyone. Keep a look out on our Social Media channels and website for further updates and advice to get you through these turbulent times. Stay safe if you’re driving and we sincerely hope that you keep well, we can all navigate through this together.

Top tips for maintaining and cleaning your car if it is absolutely necessary to drive

Essential car care and maintenance during Coronavirus should be applied right now to protect your car, to keep it in a safe and roadworthy condition. CVSL are here to address customers concerns surrounding your vehicle.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that it will grant a six-month MOT exemption to all cars, vans and motorcycles from March 30, meaning that your car will automatically be exempt for a period of 6 months.

If you do need to head out when absolutely necessary here are some tips and checks for ensuring that your car is safe and sound, plus CLEAN and decontaminated. 

Essential Coronavirus car care

  • Ensure tyres are above legal tread depth and correct pressure, 1.6mm is the legal requirement, so check all of the tyre grooves to ensure that they meet this. Don’t forget to check your pressures too – these will either be in the handbook or inside the fuel filler cap.
  • Check your brakes – When safe to do so move at a slow speed, press down on the brake pedal and ensure that there is a sufficient amount of return pressure.  If the pedal feels overly light or doesn’t effectively ‘bite’, it could be worth getting them checked out – garages are still open for key maintenance!
  • Check your oil – Necessary for ensuring that the engine operates smoothly, so keep it topped up and in good condition. To check simply open the bonnet, locate the dipstick, which usually has a bright yellow cap. Remove the dipstick, use a tissue to clear the oil on it and locate the indicator markings. Place the dipstick back in, remove again and see where the oil levels up to – it should be between the two indicators!
  • Test all your lights are working – If and when you do eventually have to drive test all your lights are working, as road visibility is key for your own safety and other drivers.
  • Keep washer fluid levels topped up – Make sure that your windscreen washer fluids are kept topped up so you can effectively clear the screen. Also assess the wipers!

Wash Your Car – this is vital

A clean exterior will help protect the paint. Hand-washing the car is the safest choice right now, using a dedicated car wash soap and sponge – try to use a separate sponge for the wheels and tyres or else you will just transfer the sand, brake dust.

Clean and disinfect the interior too! We recommend using automotive-specific cleansers, Isopropyl alcohol will kill the virus – vigorous washing with soap and water can destroy the coronavirus!

Other essential car care and maintenance…

Remember, cars don’t like to stay idle risks include; the battery losing charge, the tyres gaining flat spots and belts or wipers drying out. So try to run the engine once a week.

It is vital that your car is adequately sanitised or else you risk it carrying germs and bacteria, germs are easily transported from your hand to vital car parts – which can in fact cause the Coronavirus to spread.

All of the above are easy to action tips and simple ways to protect you and your vehicle during a troubled time. Stay safe everyone, please get in touch with us if you have any car queries!

Tony Poole of CVSL – home to car and van leasing, reviews the Spring Budget and its impact on drivers.

As the Spring Budget was mainly focussed on funds made available to tackle the fear of a recession, there were some positive announcements for motorists, as Chancellor Rishi Sunak announces extra budget to improve the UK’s road infrastructure.

What does the Spring Budget mean for motorists?

Fuel Duty frozen
The duty on fuel remains frozen for a decade, bringing an annual £1200 saving on average.

Improving infrastructure
The Chancellor has announced £27bn to fund 4000 miles of road including new junctions and better connections to airports and ports.  An initiative welcomed by motorists around the country is the Government’s commitment to filling 50 million potholes by the end of the current parliament; £2.5bn has been set aside for this.

Electric Vehicles
In the electric market, the Government has promised to continue its commitment to support motorists choosing to switch to an electric vehicle by extending the plug-in grant until 2022/23 and being exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty.  The Chancellor announced an increase in charging points across the country; EV drivers should never be further away than 30 miles from a charging point.

Tony Poole, Managing Director at CVSL comments on the Spring Budget 2020 ‘’ We welcome the extra budget made available to improve the UK’s road network. Many motorists are fed up with delays on our road network as well as the vast amount of potholes. We are also pleased that the Chancellor has announced to extend the plug-in grant until 2022/23 as this will encourage motorists to choose an electric vehicle.”

For more information about leasing an electric vehicle, visit our dedicated Electric Car Van Leasing website.

Customer Corner

We love feedback. And we want to let you know.

Why did you choose CVSL?
Word of mouth! They were highly recommended by a third party.
However, I looked at a few companies and CVSL had some great special offers on a few cars I was interested in. I also did some research on company reviews and found a lot of great reviews about CVSL’s overall customer service.  

How would you rate their service from sourcing the right car, getting the best deal for you to delivery?
CVSL got back to me quickly on all my requests. They completed multiple quotes for multiple vehicles allowing me to compare costs and find the right deal. 

Are you pleased with your vehicle choice?
Very pleased, it’s a higher than expected spec car and I’m really pleased with the costs and overall service.  

Do you have a name for your car?
No not yet! Since naming your car is a big decision you need to get it right!

Do you have any bad driving habits?
Nope, I’m a perfect driver 🙂 the best in fact

What is your car driving pet hate?
Sitting in traffic! I’d rather drive for longer to go around the traffic and keep moving rather than stay still. 

What was your first car? What car did you want when were younger?
My First car is my password reset question on a few websites, not a great idea to list it here!

Are there any road trips on your list?
We’ll be driving down to Cornwall in October, so I’m looking forward to some motorway driving specifically. 

What is your favourite tune whilst driving?
Any 90’s hip-hop will do me perfectly!

Do you want a brand-new lease like Luke that you will love? Get in touch with CVSL today and we will get you motoring – from personal to business, 4WD to electric cars and vans, we’ve got the right deal for you!