General Motors brand Opel is to launch a small car below its current Corsa supermini, the company confirmed September 23.

The vehicle, which Opel described as “stylish and fuel-efficient,” will be the company’s smallest model and will compete with the Ford Ka, Ford’s three-door European city car.

The vehicle is set to enter production in Germany in 2013, Opel said, also hinting that an electric version could be introduced for driving in urban environments.

“This new product will be an important element in our growth strategy,” said Opel/Vauxhall boss Nick Reilly.

“Along with other new vehicles, such as the upcoming electric Ampera, a sporty coupe and a small SUV, we will significantly expand our product lineup in the future and offer customer choices in several more segments.”

Opel lacks a competitor to smaller, design-led city cars such as the three-door Ford Ka, Fiat 500 and Smart Fortwo, which have proved popular with urban consumers.

Its five-door Agila, a rebadged version of the Suzuki SX4, failed to impress many critics, with UK car show Top Gear saying, “it looks like a car for people who lost their agility a very long time ago”.

The Ka, which was launched in 1996 and refreshed in 2008, led its class with a 14 percent market share in 2009.

What do you think of driving examiners? I suppose your answer will depend on whether you passed or failed. An examiner who passed you, of course will be a hero in your eyes, s/he gave you the freedom to drive independently and to remove those L Plates. If you failed on the other hand, it is a completely different story and the examiner was no doubt a hideous individual who had no sympathy.

However, have you thought about the peril these examiners have to go through on a daily basis? With most examiners sitting in on around 8 tests per day, to be a passenger when an anxious and inexperienced driver is trying to get from A to B without crashing the vehicle can be very nerve wracking.

Examiners are not only expected to be vigilant at all times but also to be able to communicate effectively with members of the public in what can be a very stressful situation. Examiners undertake four-to-six-weeks intensive training and many have previously been driving instructors.

Holly Harper of Britannia Driving School said: “Their job changes lives however, they must ensure only the safe and competent drivers are let loose on the roads.”

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Magistrates have issued Katie Price with three points on her driving licence and a fine of £1000 for her actions on 19th February this year.

Two police officers caught Katie on her mobile phone, after she drifted into another lane on the A23 in Bolney.

Katie’s defence was that she is a women driver and found it difficult to control the large vehicle on the motorway.

Katie claimed that it was not a phone she was holding but a perfume bottle however, the two police officers that spotted her were thought to be credible witnesses. Either way her actions caused her to lose control of the vehicle which as a result made two other drivers take action in order to avoid a collision.

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Set to appear at next week’s Paris Motor Show, the MINI Scooter E Concept arrives exactly 10 years after BMW unveiled its vision of a modern day MINI.

Designed by Adrian van Hooydonk of BMW, the Scooter E Concept comes in three interpretations, the first of which, inspired by the fashion of the 1960s, was launched at an exclusive London party last night.

The two-seater scooter features design details from the swinging Sixties, including a Union Jack, visible through the perforated leather of the seat, a circular instrument cluster and chrome trim.

Another two-seater scooter, borrowing design elements from MINI’s E hatchback prototype, will be shown at next week’s Paris Motor Show along with a single-seater “sporty” version finished in British Racing Green.

All Scooter Es are designed for what MINI calls the “young urban generation” and use a smart phone as the ignition key, so as to provide satnav, communication and entertainment in one hit, while also indicating where other members of the MINI Scooter community are riding, no doubt satisfying said “young urban generation’s” social networking needs.

An electric motor powers the rear wheel, and gets its energy from a compact lithium-ion battery. This is turn can be hooked up to any conventional power outlet.

Currently the DSA (Driving Standards Agency) publish all test routes for each test centre on their website however, they will no longer be doing this.

As we know the 4th October will see changes to the practical driving test, in which they will try to make it more representative of real-life driving. Drivers will be expected to make decisions for themselves without the prompt or help of the examiner, something they will have to do once they pass.

Previously instructors would be able to take learners around the test routes in preparation for their test, familiarising them with every roundabout and junction. This may relax the pupil and give them the confidence in which to pass, but that is not the role of a driving instructor, it is to teach somebody to be a safe and competent driver who can drive independently.

So when the new test routes are introduced on the 4th, instructors and pupils will no longer be able to access the routes online.

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BOOMING exports have helped UK car-makers motor ahead, with almost 78,000 vehicles rolling off production lines last month.

The figure was up a hefty 37% on last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, with almost three-quarters of cars made here destined for forecourts abroad.

Manufacturers such as Land Rover, Honda, Nissan and Mini benefited from a 51% surge in exports last month, with demand being particularly strong from customers in the USA, China and India.

SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said yesterday: “The UK is an important part of the global automotive industry, exporting cars, commercial vehicles and engines to markets around the world.”

If parents are going to be teachers they need to be taught themselves.

All drivers could do with refresher lessons especially if they are going to teach others to drive however, more and more parents are passing on their bad habits to their children. Bad habits such as approaching junctions to fast, travelling to close to the vehicle in front, not using their mirrors correctly or enough and poor observation.

It is good to gain as much road experience as possible and with economic times as they are, it is reasonable to expect learners to drive with their parents. Yet it is strongly recommended that learners take lessons with parents alongside lessons with a qualified driving instructor.

An updated understanding of the Highway Code and what driving examiners expect of you at the test centre is needed and there is a difference between being able to drive from A to B and being able to drive up to test standard, driving safely and competently.

Holly Harper of Britannia Driving School said: “So if you are going to take on the huge challenge of teaching your children how to drive, make sure you know how to first.”

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Road safety is paramount, yet poor attitude from drivers can often lead to road accidents.

Drivers of all ages, in particular young drivers need utmost concentration when driving. Yet many young drivers succumb to peer pressure and end up ferrying their friends around.

Passengers can be a real distraction, especially if the driver is keen to impress. This can often lead to the driver showing off and taking risks they would not normally take, such as overtaking, speeding, tailgating etc.

One simple act that many drivers don’t follow is wearing a seat belt. I am unsure what leads drivers to think they are invincible and don’t need to wear a seat belt, as I am sure nobody would go on a roller coaster and not strap themselves in however, many drivers do it.

Driving when tired is another simple thing to consider before sitting behind the wheel of a car, yet there have been cases where drivers have fallen asleep behind the wheel. Despite these extreme cases, driving whilst tired can impair your decision making.

Drugs whether they are legal or illegal, all impair our judgement and concentration which in turn affects our driving abilities. Don’t take illegal substances full stop and always check the label of any prescribed medication.

These things may seem obvious but are often forgotten and not just by young drivers but drivers of all ages. Motorists need to think not only about their own safety but the safety of other road users and pedestrians.

Holly Harper of Britannia Driving School said: “It doesn’t matter whether you are a learner, have just passed, been driving for years or even a driving instructor or examiner there is always room for improvement and additional training. There are pass plus courses for new drivers or refresher lessons for those that hold a full licence but haven’t driven for a while or feel they are no longer confident on the roads.”

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Car insurance premiums are being pushed up by almost a third due to rising levels of fraud, experts warned today.

The average comprehensive policy costs 30 per cent more this year than last, according to AA Insurance.

It is the biggest increase since the company’s records began 16 years ago, with younger drivers facing even steeper price rises.

Premiums for those under 30 have soared by 11.5 per cent in the last three months alone.

But the young have also been found more likely to make a false insurance claim.

A separate survey for moneysupermarket.com found that 5 per cent of motorists under 35 have staged an accident to make a fraudulent claim and 15 per cent would consider doing so.

The Association of British Insurers recently said that insurers uncovered £410million-worth of fraudulent motor insurance claims during 2009 – and the AA said increased fraud is a central reason for rising premiums.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said: ‘The evidence from moneysupermarket.com, suggesting that thousands of people are attempting to try “cash for crash” scams themselves – perhaps to get someone else to pay for past damage or to make a claim for non-existent whiplash injury – is deeply worrying.’

The group said other types of fraud, such as fronting, where a named driver is in fact the main driver, withholding information, and lying about where a car is kept or what the driver’s occupation as, were all also on the rise.

But Mr Douglas said insurers were getting ‘wise’ to the way fraudsters can manipulate price comparison sites and introducing new technology to catch them.

Research has shown that the most popular car colours are Silver and Black.

Despite virtually any colour available, we still tend to choose the same colours, which in turn makes silver and black cars easier to sell and at a better price.

Manufacturers follow suit and as a result provide up to four shades of silver on most models.

Yet despite silver coming out on top, certain cars appeal in very particular colours, for example: a van will generally come in white, a Ferrari in red and a Lamborghini in a bright colour such as yellow, orange or green.

Holly Harper of Britannia Driving School said: “Next time you are out and about, check out the cars in the car park or on the roads and see what colour rules the roads.”

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