MPH to KPH30 down to 20 for non-arterial single carriage way roads in town makes sense (ie residential areas) however if you were to impose a 20 limit on roads that actually take you anywhere...
October 20, 2006
Creeping costs spell more misery for motorists
Despite recent reductions in fuel prices, new figures reveal the cost of running a vehicle is growing steadily. According to RAC's latest ĪCost of Motoring' Index, the average car now costs more than £5,500 a year to run, equivalent to £15 a day.
Following increases in congestion charging and with road pricing on the horizon, car owners are having to budget ever more carefully. The cost of car ownership has risen by as much as the cost of a package holiday - £539 - in 12 months.
RAC's 'Cost of Motoring' Index is an in-depth piece of research produced every six months, which tracks all costs buttociated with owning and running 17 different models of car.
As in previous indexes, depreciation is the largest cost factor in all new cars, increasing £432 or 22% in 12 months. The average person now loses £2,420 a year, equivalent to £46.50 a week. The growing depreciation of vehicles is driven by a significant reduction in the projected residual value of the cars in the index after three years, from 52% to 45% of the recommended retail price.
Other significant developments in the last 12 months, highlighted by RAC's ĪCost of Motoring' index include:
According to the figures, the bill for running a car is as follows:
Variable Q3 2006 Q3 2005 Depreciation £2,420 £1,987 Fuel £1,112 £1,155 Cost of finance £1,040 £948 Insurance £412 £389 Maintenance £300 £271 Tax £129 £124 RAC membership £126 £126
Total cost (per year) £5,539 £5000
Total cost (per week) £106.51 £96.15
Total cost (per mile) £0.46 £0.42
Commenting on the index, RAC spokesperson and index author Sean Morris, said: "The second biggest investment we make after home ownership - car buying - is getting bigger. For such an important decision, too few of us understand the spread of costs buttociated with owning and running a car. The index results will be unwelcome news for many, but motorists must better understand the true cost of their vehicles."
There are a number of factors identified by the index that help explain these changes.
Fuel prices have fluctuated as the price per litre at the pump has reduced by 3.5% for petrol and 2.3% for diesel. The average annual cost for vehicles covered by the index reduced by slightly more than the reduction in the price per litre, reflecting a trend towards more fuel efficient vehicles.
The annual cost of finance has risen by £92 from £948 to £1,040, an increase of almost 10%. Just over half of this is accounted for by the increased cost of borrowing, reflecting a jump in the Bank of England Base rate in August 2006. The balance of the increase arises from a 4% growth in the average target price for the vehicles in the index over the year.
The average annual cost of insurance for vehicles in the index grew 6%, from £389 to £412. Most of the increase reflects premium rate movements seen in the vehicle groupings. There is also some increase as a result of the weighted average of vehicles in the index moving towards cars with higher insurance groups.
Are cyclists allowed to race on public roads 804Do you know what "decriminalised" means? Have you asked the council to reinforce the pavement and provide adequate parking where it is obviously required? So you'd be happy with cars parked...
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