When dash cams first hit the market, they were quite expensive and it was mostly business people such as rep who do a lot of driving that had them. Over the last decade they have come down massively in price and you can now pick one up from less than £30!

Unfortunately, many of us have encountered people on the road who seem to be oblivious to how their driving affects others. Overtaking on bends, tailgating, driving too fast or even driving too slow can all play major roles in why people have accidents. Over the past few years that has been a massive increase in the number of people doing “crash for cash” scams where they slam their brakes on causing you to go into the back of them then claim off your insurance company for personal injury plus the damage to the vehicle. The blame is automatically put on to you if you run in to the back of someone so you need to have a way to prove your innocence and sometimes a dash cam is the only way to do this. A dash cam might be the best purchase you make when it comes to accessories in your car.

Windows teen wipers are checked during an mot and you should be advised if they are worn. If they are too bad you will have to change them in order to pass the MOT. Even if you have not long had an MOT you may still notice that your wipers are not performing as well as they used to. This is often apparent in heavy rain. Often wipers deteriorate over the winter months as they freeze and may become brittle. It is easy for the rubber to become ripped or rough and this will cause the wipers to it clear the screen as effectively.

When purchasing new blades, you may wish to invest a little more and get good quality ones. This is especially true if you do a lot of motorway driving or if you often drive at night or in bad weather. The cost of wipers range from around £15 for a set up wards of £50 but do shop around as often you find the exact same wipers for a fraction of the cost elsewhere. Always double check the fit meant and the size of the wipers. Often the drivers side wiper blade is longer that the passenger side on a lot of modern vehicles.

Car seats are of vital importance to a baby or child’s safety when travelling. It is essential that you ensure that your child always has the correct car seat for their, height, weight and age.

There is a huge selection of car seats to choose from and they are often split into stages. New-born babies will often need a different car seat to a 5-year-old for example although you can get some seats that have been designed to be used from birth to age 5 or above. The latest law requires a child to be in a car seat from birth up until they are 135 cm or 12 years of age although many experts suggest that you should actually use a child seat until your child is 150cm tall.

When using a car seat that has a harness system, the harness should be level with their shoulders, with the harness fitting snugly around them. You should only be able to get two fingers under the harness. Always be sure to remove any padded jackets and do not strap them in with a blanket under the straps as if you do have to stop the vehicle suddenly the belts may not be tight enough when the clothing / blanket compacts.  

Some cars have built in booster seats which can be used from a certain age or height.

If you have a car or van and notice that the seats are becoming a bit tatty then you may consider getting them reupholstered. This can be very costly, especially if it is leather and unless the car is worth a lot of money, it is not often a viable option for many.

Instead of forking out for costly reupholstered seats, why not look in to getting some car seat covers. Car seat covers come in a range of fit, style and material. If you have a new car and want to protect the seats then you may opt for a quick and easy cover that you can pop on and off when you need to. If the seats are already damaged then you may decide to get a cover that looks more permanent. You can buy universal covers which fit many types of vehicles, but these do not often offer the best fit and you may not find them very comfy. If you really want the seats to look like they are ew then chose a cover that has been designed to fit your specific vehicle. You will often have to pay a bit more for these but still a fraction of the cost of reupholstering.  Places such as Halfords sell seat covers but you may be able to find them online at a lower price.

When buying a new car you often receive two keys.  If you have an older vehicle or have purchased it second hand, you may not have been given a spare and therefore you will have to ensure that you look after it well. Having just the one key that you reply on can be risky as not only can you lose it which will be extremely costly to call someone out and make a new key (not to mention time consuming) but also it may become damaged or faulty rendering it useless.

Before going to a main dealership to get a new key for your vehicle, you may be able to get one from a specialist key cutter and often save quite a bit of money. Some car keys however cannot be duplicated by these third party companies so always ensure you check first if they can create one for your make and model without just going off an advertised price on a board.

Many insurance companies are now offering key cover which will pay out if you lose or damage your key and need to get a replacement or possibly even the locks changed.