Accident Repair Centre in Portsmouth

Monday 31 March 2014

Councils Receive Share Of Emergency Road Repair Fund

Councils in England have learnt how much money to expect from the government's emergency fund to repair roads damaged by the recent severe weather. This £183.5 million investment follows a particularly harsh winter and will contribute to fixing more than three million potholes. 

The money is being distributed now to ensure that work starts soon, with the expectation that the majority will be complete for the summer holidays. 116 Local Highway Authorities in England will receive a share of the funding, and Transport for London will distribute its payment to the London Boroughs. 

The Authorities will then have to reveal to the public where the money has been spent via their websites - so there will be some accountability. Furthermore, the Chancellor of the Exchequer recently confirmed – during the budget of March 2014 – that a further £200 million pounds will be made available to repair potholes in the financial year 2014 - 2015.





Original article by http://www.motoring.co.uk/car-news/councils-receive-share-of-emergency-road-repair-fund_62167

http://www.motorworldarc.co.uk/news.asp

ENGLAND£173,499,998
LONDON£10,000,000
EAST MIDLANDS£11,774,197
Derby£221,695
Derbyshire£2,946,577
Leicester£250,828
Leicestershire£1,491,977
Lincolnshire£3,311,952
Northamptonshire£1,544,481
Nottingham£232,906
Nottinghamshire£1,565,207
Rutland£208,574
EAST OF ENGLAND£16,174,242
Bedford£289,423
Central Bedfordshire£467,714
Cambridgeshire£1,531,297
Essex£2,700,386
Hertfordshire£3,620,756
Luton£120,725
Norfolk£3,689,546
Peterborough£325,057
Southend-on-Sea£273,418
Suffolk£2,944,452
Thurrock£211,468
NORTH EAST£6,298,272
Darlington£178,442
Durham£1,241,952
Gateshead£294,795
Hartlepool£131,268
Middlesbrough£140,529
Newcastle upon Tyne£282,923
North Tyneside£251,071
Northumberland£2,736,241
Redcar and Cleveland£263,488
South Tyneside£172,647
Stockton-on-Tees£258,308
Sunderland£346,608
NORTH WEST£13,179,700
Blackburn with Darwen£171,935
Blackpool£142,518
Bolton£309,888
Bury£192,770
Cheshire East£1,249,785
Cheshire West and Chester£856,911
Cumbria£3,018,761
Halton£230,978
Knowsley£202,454
Lancashire£2,279,110
Liverpool£465,035
Manchester£419,421
Oldham£811,773
Rochdale£238,301
Salford£259,010
Sefton£300,119
St. Helens£252,281
Stockport£286,735
Tameside£220,026
Trafford£234,953
Warrington£313,559
Wigan£358,930
Wirral£364,447
SOUTH EAST£44,575,080
Bracknell Forest£162,840
Brighton and Hove£295,048
Buckinghamshire£2,507,486
East Sussex£2,645,187
Hampshire£11,509,673
Isle of Wight**
Kent£8,602,389
Medway£266,288
Milton Keynes£371,011
Oxfordshire£4,782,149
Portsmouth£146,868
Reading£151,947
Slough£87,613
Southampton£221,057
Surrey£5,341,676
West Berkshire£1,489,480
West Sussex£3,475,968
Windsor and Maidenhead£2,123,047
Wokingham£395,353
SOUTH WEST£46,753,155
Bath and North East Somerset£417,931
Bournemouth£349,312
Bristol£342,924
Cornwall£10,758,008
Devon£6,985,437
Dorset£5,874,311
Gloucestershire£3,308,360
Isles of Scilly£80,827
North Somerset£395,350
Plymouth£1,573,772
Poole£255,311
Somerset£12,335,841
South Gloucestershire£479,062
Swindon£250,459
Torbay£336,225
Wiltshire£3,010,025
WEST MIDLANDS£14,389,334
Coventry£362,105
Dudley£318,757
Herefordshire£3,538,803
Sandwell£302,501
Shropshire£1,783,118
Solihull£723,664
Staffordshire£2,131,285
Stoke-on-Trent£261,821
Telford and The Wrekin£333,278
Walsall£251,947
Warwickshire£1,969,251
Wolverhampton£231,973
Worcestershire£2,180,831
YORKSHIRE AND HUMBER£10,356,018
Barnsley£606,045
Bradford£575,187
Calderdale£380,034
Doncaster£521,974
East Riding of Yorkshire£1,302,654
Kingston upon Hull£204,375
Kirklees£606,663
Leeds£949,426
North East Lincolnshire£213,863
North Lincolnshire£646,518
North Yorkshire£3,223,589
Rotherham£392,016
Wakefield£487,955
York£245,719

Saturday 29 March 2014

The controversial subject of repairing cracked alloy wheels hit the headlines last year.

The controversial subject of repairing cracked alloy wheels hit the headlines last year. All sides of the industry had their say on the safety issues and practices, and as a result, bodyshops have subsequently come under scrutiny to ensure that under their duty of care, they advise consumers accordingly on issues associated. bodyshop’s Joe Gregory reports.

Consumers may not realise it, but a cracked alloy wheel is far more dangerous than they might think – no matter how small the crack may be. Even a crack which is unnoticeable to the naked eye could have disastrous consequences. For this reason, industry professionals tend to steer clear of cracked alloys unless they have gone through thorough testing – the risks far outweigh the benefits.

However, repairs of this nature do happen, and it is a bit of minefield for everyone concerned. As a precedent, one consumer, with the help of What Car? took a dealership to court last October and won £1,160 in damages after it sold a vehicle with a ‘repaired’ cracked alloy wheel. What Car? quoted The Welding Institute as saying that ‘weld repair on a cast aluminium road wheel is potentially lethal and could fail catastrophically without warning.’

The wheel in question, however, had been initially repaired, and was of such a poor standard that the tyre deflated after five days. Who repaired the wheel is unknown, however, the fact that these repairs are happening in the first place is a cause for concern as it tarnishes the repair industry as a whole.

‘I have never seen a cracked alloy wheel repair that is safe, or that has had a thorough inspection apart from a visual safety check – and it is impossible to detect hairline cracks with the naked eye,’ said Trevor Ferris, managing director, Eco Express Systems. ‘It is important to note that the point of impact is not always where the fracture appears. Critically, in all cases, without exception, a non-destructive test (NDT) kit should be used if a repair has been undertaken. To the best of my knowledge we are the only company to not only supply the kits, but also have an IMI certified training course for alloy wheel repair.’

Remit
Some have considered conducting these repairs as part of their wheel refurbishment remit, but have, when realising the dangers they pose, abandoned the idea. ‘When considering if we would implement crack/tear repairs in our wheel refurbishment business, we set a stringent test to comply with our health and safety obligations,’ said Anatol Poyer-Sleeman, director and franchise owner, Chipsaway Cambridge. ‘To engage in this sort of repair work, we would need to be sure that the expert opinion is undivided and that such repairs can be consistently achieved to a safe standard. We would also need to implement a non-destructive test of each weld before it goes out to ensure road user safety. We weren't able to satisfy ourselves as to that test.’



This advice rings true throughout other parts of the industry too. ‘Our recommendation is that a body repairer doesn’t repair a cracked wheel,’ said Steve Paver, sales manager, Optima Smarter Solutions. ‘There is, however, a unique code on the back of the wheel which provides full tractability enabling any bodyshop to see if the wheel has been repaired before. Therefore, providing the wheel repair has been conducted by properly trained and skilled technicians, consumers should feel reassured that their wheels are as good as when they came off the factory production line and will be safeguarded from further impact.’

NDT techniques are varied and include: radiography, computerised tomography scanning, x-rays, ultrasonic testing, liquid penetrant testing and more. This potentially adds to cost of any repair, which is the crux of why some unmonitored cracked alloy wheel repairs are on the road.

‘I am sure that the reason no test is carried out is that there is no awareness that this is a critical safety check area,’ said Trevor Ferris. ‘It should be known that a test would take an average of five to10 minutes to carry out, and that the cost of a NDT is less than a can of paint.’

Security
Unfortunately, for the unsuspecting motorist, there is no legislation or security for them at present. ‘I would expect that it would take legislation, or at the very least Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance backed up by robust enforcement, to prevent dangerous wheel repairs continuing in the market,’ said Anatol Poyer-Sleeman.

However, making the public aware of this matter is also a stumbling block – as proving a vehicle collision occurred solely because of this would be tricky to say the least.

‘The recent cosmetic repair automotive technician accreditation (ATA) has created a national standard for professional repairers, and NDT is widely available,’ said Mark Llewellyn, managing director, Revive! Auto Innovations. ‘However, if a consumer’s first priority with a wheel repair is the cost, then they will ultimately ignore the risks of having a professional repair done.’

Categories
Wheel repair comes under two categories, cosmetic and refurbishment. Wheel refurbishment tends to include the complete overhaul of wheels including stripping, resurfacing and repainting. Diamond cut alloys are also common on today’s vehicles and these can be re-cut through a refurbishment process. Mark Llewellyn explained how a cosmetic repair to a diamond wheel can still be of a good quality. ‘A diamond cut wheel cannot be completely replicated through a cosmetic repair – however, in many instances, where a professional repairer is involved, a cosmetic repair to a diamond cut wheel is acceptable,’ said Mark. ‘However, a cosmetic wheel repair should not be carried out if the wheel has any structural damage ie if the wheel is buckled or has chunks missing.’

The market as a whole is also changing a lot for a variety of reasons. Spare wheels found inside vehicles are often replaced with other alternatives, due to the weight and space savings that can be made. Although this is unpopular with some consumers, more and more modern cars are now fitted with space saving wheels, for example. This, as well as tyre monitoring systems, has swung the refurbishment and repair market into the limelight.

‘Many systems have onerous maintenance requirements eg a new specialist valve every time a tyre is changed’ said Anatol Poyer-Sleeman. ‘We have noticed that many wheels have tyres changed and old valves refitted or valves fitted wrongly, for example, galvanic corrosion or bolt-in valves hugely over-torqued are the most common we’ve come across.’

In numbers: Wheel refurbishment*

  • 32m vehicles on UK roads
  • 98% of all vehicles have alloy wheels
  • 5.3m vehicles have been repaired
  • 40% (2.12m) vehicles have undergone a SMART repair
  • Of the 40%, 28% (593,600) have had an alloy wheel refurbishment


*courtesy of Optima Smarter Solutions

A bodyshop view

Fix Auto Cardiff South and Pontypridd owner Steve Peart, has invested £110,000 developing an alloy wheel repair facility, tells us his view on wheel refurbishment.

An alloy wheel can be repaired to a safe standard, but that obviously depends on the severity of the damage. Safety is paramount and if an inspection throws up any doubt, then we would always discard it.

The confidence has to be with the repairer. While our dedicated facility is new, like many reputable bodyshops, we have been refurbishing and repairing alloy wheels for a long time. It is that experience and expertise that guarantees a wheel has been repaired to the highest standards. We would never put a wheel onto a vehicle if there’s any question over its safety.

There’s a huge educational campaign needed. Motorists are not aware of the dangers of driving with defective or damaged wheels. They are potential killers. Personally, I believe a thorough wheel inspection should be included in the MOT test. The situation of alloy wheel safety has been heightened with the increase of substandard ‘fake’ alloys flooding our market. Wheels produced by vehicle manufacturers are made to the highest standards possible by using the best quality alloy metal available. You simply can’t say that about cheaper, copied, versions. Those who put them on their vehicle are gambling with their lives, the lives of the passengers and the welfare of other road users.

http://www.bodyshopmag.com/Features-wheel-refurbishment-feature-cracking-up.aspx
http://www.motorworldarc.co.uk/news.asp

Friday 28 March 2014

Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) - 17 arrested in nationwide raids by police tackling 'credit hire fraud

17 people have been arrested in raids across England by detectives investigating criminal gangs making false insurance claims for courtesy cars provided to motorists while their own vehicle is being fixed.

20 warrants were executed at business and residential addresses in Essex, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, London, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Surrey and West Yorkshire, yesterday morning (Wednesday 26 March 2014) in a police day of action that marks the culmination of months of investigation by the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED).


One hundred officers took part in the operation that saw the City of London Police unit supported by colleagues from the force's Economic Crime Directorate and officers from local forces.

Criminal gangs typically set up phoney, or use corrupt, claims management and hire companies to commit this type of insurance fraud, known by industry as 'credit hire fraud'.

Through these businesses the fraudsters will invoice insurers for a courtesy car they have not actually provided, commonly called 'phantom hire'.

In other instances they will 'lease' the same courtesy car to different motorists at the same time and put in a separate claim for each fictional hire, often known as 'cross hire'.

Sometimes they may also bill an insurer for providing a top spec courtesy car when only a basic model was given. Hire periods are also often exaggerated.

DCI Dave Wood, Head of IFED, said:

"This operation reveals credit hire fraud as a nationwide problem which IFED is tackling through a co-ordinated law enforcement response.

"While insurers are the criminals' intended victims, innocent motorists ultimately pay the price in terms of the impact of insurance fraud on the cost of premiums.

"Insurer diligence, coupled with enforcement action being taken by IFED and supported by local police forces, is paramount to confront this threat now and in the future."

Arrest breakdown across the police force areas as follows:

· Lancashire = 3

· London = 9

· Northamptonshire = 1

· Nottinghamshire = 2

· West Yorkshire = 2

The 17 people were arrested on suspicion of a variety of offences including fraud by false representation, conspiracy to defraud, money laundering and forgery.

http://www.motorworldarc.co.uk/news.asp

Wednesday 26 March 2014

IFB welcomes jail term for fraudsters

The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has welcomed the further sentencing of three convicted insurance fraudsters, for failing to repay their ill-gotten gains.

Originally sentenced to jail in 2010 for submitting over 100 fraudulent insurance claims, brothers Nadeem and Amer Dad and their father, Munsif Dad, were also required to repay almost £280,000.

As Nadeem and Amer haven't repaid a penny, and Munsif has only funded a third of what was expected of him, all three have been sentenced to a total of almost four and a half more years in prison.

Investigators had previously secured a £51,800 confiscation order against Nadeem Dad over a scam which saw false claims made for storm damage, car crashes and even lost pedigree bulldogs.

Ben Fletcher, Director of the Insurance Fraud Bureau said: "This decision sends an important message to insurance fraudsters everywhere; if you expect your illegal profits to be waiting for you when you get out of jail you'll be back there quicker than you expect. We wholeheartedly support the actions of the Crown Prosecution Service and their pursuit of fraudsters who somehow think that they are entitled to keep their illegal nest-egg."

The IFB was formed in 2006 to spearhead the collective fight against organised insurance fraud. Since its inception, the IFB has assisted police with over 915 arrests and helped secure total jail terms of more than 235 years for organised fraudsters."

Det Insp Dave Groombridge, of Pennine CID, who investigated the case had previously said: "Fraudulent claims hit the pockets of the decent law-abiding public with every resident, motorist and trader facing increased premiums to compensate for the greed of these criminals.

"Nadeem Dad not only received a custodial prison sentence, but he has also had to face the consequences of his actions by repaying a significant amount of his ill-gotten gains.

"I hope this sends out a warning that if we find you with cash that you cannot account for, you will be targeted."