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Company cars – Updated advisory fuel rates from 1 December 2013

The latest news from the HMRC is that they have published updated advisory fuel rates, which show reductions in the majority of categories.

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See a full list of figures in the tables below; the summary being that there is a reduction of 1p per mile for diesel drivers, and up to 2p for petrol

These rates apply to all journeys on or after 1 December 2013 until further notice.

For one month from the date of change, employers may use either the previous or new current rates, as they choose. Employers may, therefore, make or require supplementary payments if they so wish, but are under no obligation to do either.

Engine size Petrol LPG
1400cc or less 14p 9p
1401cc to 2000cc 16p 11p
Over 2000cc 24p 16p

 

Engine size Diesel
1600cc or less 12p
1601cc to 2000cc 14p
Over 2000cc 17p

Hybrid cars are treated as either petrol or diesel cars for this purpose.

These rates are calculated from the fuel prices in the tables below:

Petrol
Engine size (cc) Mean
MPG
Applied
MPG
Fuel price
(per litre)
Fuel price
(per gallon)
Pence
per mile
AFR
up to 1400 51.06 43.4 129.9 590.5 13.6 14
1401 – 2000 42.24 35.9 129.9 590.5 16.4 16
over 2000 28.63 24.3 129.9 590.5 24.3 24

 

Diesel
Engine size
(cc)
Mean
MPG
Applied
MPG
Fuel price
(per litre)
Fuel price
(per gallon)
Pence
per mile
AFR
Up to 1600 62.36 53.0 137.5 625.0 11.8 12
1601 to 2000 53.25 45.3 137.5 625.0 13.8 14
Over 2000 43.30 36.8 137.5 625.0 17.0 17

 

LPG
Engine size
(cc)
Mean
MPG
Applied
MPG
Fuel price
(per litre)
Fuel price
(per gallon)
Pence
per mile
AFR
up to 1400 40.8 34.7 70.0 318.2 9.2 9
1401 – 2000 33.8 28.7 70.0 318.2 11.1 11
over 2000 22.9 19.5 70.0 318.2 16.3 16

 

Winter Tyre Safety

Why are Tyres Important? Most drivers know that snow and ice can dramatically affect their safety on the road. Steering, acceleration and braking are more difficult as normal tyres have less grip in these conditions. However, it is not just these extreme wintry conditions which can reduce your safety on the road. Even cold, damp roads can dramatically affect the performance of tyres, leading to an increased accident risk. Thankfully though, tyre manufacturers have developed a range of winter weather tyres which are specifically designed to operate in these conditions, delivering improved safety throughout the entire winter period.

Hazardous Conditions

While snow and ice present the most obvious hazard to motorists, most drivers change their driving style to suit these conditions.

However, cold, damp roads are visually no different to wet conditions in the warmer months and drivers tend not to adjust their driving style. A tyre’s performance though, is significantly reduced by this combination of conditions, making cold damp roads one of the highest

Tyre Technology

Air temperature is a crucial factor in a tyre’s ability to perform. When the temperature drops below 7°C, the tread compound in normal tyres begins to harden, providing less grip. The tread compound in winter weather tyres contains more natural rubber and advanced silica compounds to minimise the hardening effect, giving extra grip and shorter stopping distances in cold, damp conditions. Together with sophisticated multi-sipe tread patterns, the combination is one that no summer tyre can match, making winter weather tyres the safest option from October through to March, when temperatures rarely rise above 7°C. This especially applies to commuters and business motorists who are on the roads in coldest conditions in the early morning and evening.

Tests conducted by the British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association found that a car braking at 60mph on a wet road at 5°C stopped five metres shorter, equivalent to more than one car length, when fitted with winter weather tyres.

Checks for all

All drivers, irrespective of whether they fit winter weather tyres or not, should carry out regular checks throughout the winter to ensure their tyres are in the best possible condition for maximum safety.

In winter tread depth should be checked to ensure it is well above the legal minimum of 1.6mm across the central 3/4 of the tyre, around its entire circumference. TyreSafe has developed the 20p test for a simple and quick way to test your tyres’ tread depth.

Tyre pressures should be checked at least once a month or before a long journey. Pressures should be checked when the tyres are cold (i.e. travelled less than 2 miles) against the vehicle manufacturers recommended levels.

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When checking your tyre pressures, give the rest of the tyre a thorough visual inspection for any signs of damage. Look for any cuts, cracks bulges and remove any embedded objects.

 

BMW 520d M Sport car review – so fast and frugal it killed off EfficientDynamics

The BMW 520d M Sport is the fastest tax-buster model of the newly revised BMW 5 Series.

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That means that it is significantly faster than the entry-level 518d, yet equals that model for emissions and fuel efficiency.

Both the 518d and 520d boast combined mpg of 62.8 and emissions of 119 grams of CO2 per kilometre driven, yet the 520d has 41 more horses, a significantly faster 0-62mph time of 8.1 seconds (versus 9.7 for the 518d) and a top speed of 145mph instead of 132mph.

With figures like that BMW saw that there was no need to have a special EfficientDynamics model any more, and killed it off earlier this year.

Dressed to look the part in M Sport guise – always the most popular 5 Series trim – and given some subtle styling tweaks and additional equipment, the BMW 520d within the face-lifted, sixth generation 5 Series range is set to be a big seller with business users and company car drivers.

Company car tax is down to 18% – hence BMW’s decision to discontinue the EfficientDynamics label. Why draw attention to it when it’s become the norm?

What’s hot?

  • EfficientDynamics emissions of 119g/km without the eco/budget stigma…
  • …and the corresponding benefit of a company car tax rate of just 18% and £30 (Group C) vehicle excise duty.
  • Those benefits are shared even by the automatic transmission version of this car.
  • More than adequate real world performance backed up by 184hp and an 8.1 second 0-62mph sprint time.
  • And you can have all this performance and company car tax-busting emissions in desirable M Sport trim…
  • …now enhanced further by range updates in the styling department such as door mirror indicator repeaters, a lower air intake, LED light strips in the rear lights and more wheel and paint options.
  • Plus interior tweaks such as chrome highlights, better storage and better cup holders.
  • The previously optional Business Navigation is now standard, even for the 520d…
  • …while every model gets BMW Emergency call for the duration of its life, a nice backup in the event of mishap.
  • The suspension has been smoothed slightly over the previous 520d, making it more compliant onUKroads.

 We have some great deals on all the BMW 5 Series range take a look on the website at  www.cvsl.co.uk

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SOME BASIC FACTS ABOUT TRANSPORT AND WORK-RELATED ROAD SAFETY

Below are some statistics from the Department for Transport related to  transport and road safety at work some  may surprise and shock you !

About a quarter of all vehicle miles traveled annually on Britain’s roads are for work purposes (excluding commuting)

  • There are an estimated three million company cars on the roads and roughly one in three will be involved in an accident each year.
  • Company drivers who drive more than 80 per cent of their annual mileage on work related journeys have more than 50 per cent more injury accidents than similar drivers who do no work related mileage.
  • The annual risk of dying in a road accident while driving for business reasons is significantly greater than the risk of dying as a result of all other workplace accidents.
  • Every week around 200 road deaths and serious injuries involves someone at work.
  • About 300 people are killed each year as a result of drivers falling asleep at the wheel. About four in ten tiredness-related crashes involve someone driving a commercial vehicle.
  • Work-related road accidents are the biggest cause of work-related accidental death. Between 800 and 1000 people are killed annually in work-related road traffic accidents compared to approximately 250 fatalities due to accidents notified annually under the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).
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Business drivers have collision rates that are 30–40 per cent higher than those of private drivers.

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Don't Forget To Renew Your Photocard Driving Licence

Avoid the £1000 fine for expired licence

There are over two million motorists in the UK who are currently driving with an out of date driving licence. Most drivers believe that their new style licence is for life but the licence actually expires after a set period and has to be renewed, in fact photocard licences must be renewed every ten years. This is a problem we are coming up against every week here at CVSL when we ask for clients photocard driving licences.

We recommend you dig out your licence out and do a quick check this  can even help you avoid a £ 1000 fine. There are a few dates printed on the photocard, but the one you are looking for it the photo expiry date printed on section 4b on the front of the card.  If you find it is out of date then you need to renew it, the process is the same as if you were replacing a lost or stolen licence, you can either apply online, providing you've a had a new digital passport issued in the last five years (it'll use the same photo as on your passport), by post or in person at selected post offices

Check name and address

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When checking that date on your licence also check that you have the correct address on it. It is free to change your address and you still risk the £ 1000 fine if it has not been updated. It has been reported that over 2.6 million motorists have not updated their driving licence with their current address and 3% of married women had an out-of-date name on their licence, which can also incur a £ 1,000 fine.

The first batch of ten year photo licences was issued in July 1998 so if you received your licence that year your licence will most certainly be out of date.

The DVLA state that drivers are allowed to continue driving if they have failed to renew before the expiry date but they ‘could’ be charged with ‘failing to surrender their licence’ which is an offence carrying the  £ 1000 fine.  The Association of British Insurers and the Department of Transport said that insurance cover was not affected if drivers failed to update their photocard. It's also worth noting the DVLA advises any driver travelling abroad to carry a photocard licence, rather than the older all-paper version, whilst this isn't obligatory, it may make your journey easier where required.

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