These days it seems like motorists can’t do anything while driving: talking on a mobile, eating, drinking, smoking and even listening to the radio are at best frowned upon, and at worst illegal.  This is apparently all in the name of road safety of course, to help us to avoid distractions and limit the danger of unnecessary and avoidable accidents.

But, with so many restrictions on what we can and can’t do in our cars, surely the focus should shift to what’s actually out on the road too.  The humble road sign is designed to inform us of changes in the road ahead and to keep us focused on driving properly, but lately it seems like the signs are becoming a distraction in themselves.

For example, the Highways Agency have recently come under fire for a pilot scheme costing over £76,000 of taxpayers’ money, which sought to plant signs along the M6 and M11 saying simply ‘Highways Agency’.  Criticised as no more than a pointless advertising campaign, the scheme was mercifully scrapped and common sense prevailed in this case.

However, there are still plenty of pointless road signs out there which if nothing else, have made for amusing conversation in the adflyer office.  Imagine, for instance, driving along in a Ford car (like the one pictured) and coming across one speed limit sign placed on top of another contradictory one, or steering your Vauxhall in the direction of a sign posted ‘Secret Nuclear Bunker’!  But the stupidity doesn’t stop there, oh no!  If you look hard enough when cruising along in your BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Peugeot or Volkswagen, you might get lucky and spot one of these beauties: a sign for a ‘Blind Centre’, one reading ‘Cross only when cars stop’ or even ‘Sign not in use’!

So, have you ever spotted a stupid road sign to rival the ridiculous ones the adflyer team have found?  If so, make a comment and let us know…

In the meantime, check out our great motoring section.  Our sellers upload new listings for cars, motorcycles and scooters and vans every day, so take a look and you could find a great bargain!

To those less familiar with all things motor-related, today may just seem like any other day, but for those in the know it’s a day that could make or break the recovery of the UK’s car manufacturing industry.  Today marks the end of the government’s £400m scrappage scheme, an initiative in which registered car dealers offered motorists up to £2,000 off a new car or van in exchange for scrapping their old one.

So in hindsight, did this scheme have much of an impact on the motoring industry?  In a word: yes!  It’s estimated that at least 330,000 new cars have been sold under the scheme, accounting for one fifth of all cars sold in the UK from May 2009 (when the initiative began) and helping to support around 4,000 jobs with manufacturers and suppliers.  Plus, with the new cars bought under the scheme emitting 27% less CO2 than the average emissions of the scrapped cars, the scrappage scheme seems to have been quite the success story.

Now the scheme has come to an end, there is of course the worry that sales will fall and even the recent increase in demand for new vehicles from businesses won’t be enough to compensate.  However, some of the biggest names in car manufacturing seem to have learned a lesson or two from the government’s scrappage scheme, and will soon be launching their own swappage initiatives.  These schemes, to be launched by Toyota, Vauxhall and Peugeot amongst others, will have similar terms to those set out by the government scheme and could well be the best way to get your hands on a brand new car.

But, if you’re not quite ready to trade up to a shiny new car or you’re looking for a better deal on a van or a car away from the big dealerships, then adflyer could help.  Our sellers add fantastic new listings to our motoring section every day and we have a huge range of makes, models and car types to choose from.  So get searching today: you could find that perfect car you’ve been after for ages.



Today sees Alastair Darling, the bearer of bad economic news, releasing his pre-election budget, and things are definitely not looking up for motorists.  As if the current extortionate fuel prices aren’t bad enough, motorists will also be facing a rise in fuel duty as of next month.  With all this bad news about fuel prices, how can we stop our petrol costs from breaking the bank?  Well, here at adflyer, we’ve been scratching our heads and scouring the web to come up with a few dos and don’ts to help you get the most out of your fuel tank…

Do service your car regularly and keep it in top mechanical order.  You should also make sure your tyres are in good condition, and check the pressure at least once a fortnight.

Do watch your speed.  Contrary to popular belief, driving at a higher speed doesn’t mean better fuel efficiency.  In fact, driving at 80mph on the motorway uses 10-20% more fuel than driving at 70mph, whilst driving at 70mph uses 20-30% more fuel than going at 50mph.  So, make sure you stick to the speed limit and leave a bit of extra time for your journey to save having to go at top speeds.

Don’t speed and brake constantly: take a lesson from van drivers and keep your speed steady.  You can waste up to 60% of your fuel by making too many sudden starts and stops, so try to read the road and be aware of what’s going on around you.  This way, you’ll be able to anticipate what’s coming up and slow down earlier rather than having to brake suddenly all the time.

Don’t rev the engine while stationary.  It’s not big, it’s not clever and you’ll only waste fuel!

Don’t ‘warm up’ the engine.  Although it may be tempting on those cold winter mornings to sit in your car with the engine on to try and warm it up, this is a big cause of fuel waste.  Instead, invest in a good de-icer and try to drive off as soon as you can (as long as you can see out of the windscreen of course!).

Do wind down your windows.  Instead of relying on your car’s air conditioning system when it’s hot, switch it off and wind down your windows to cool off.

Don’t take short trips in your car.  In the UK, one journey in every three is under a mile-that’s a fifteen minute walk!  So, if you need to pop to the shops or you work close by, put the car keys down and use your legs instead-it’ll save you money on petrol and it’s good for your carbon footprint.

Whether you drive a BMW or a Bentley (pictured above), a Fiat or a Ford, or even a Skoda or a Subaru, we hope you’ll heed our advice to get the best mileage for your money.  Or, if you’re in the market for a new or used car, take a look at the huge range of great deals in our motoring section.  It couldn’t be easier to find a bargain with adflyer, so take a look today!