National Breakdown Wire

Fresh profiteering row as petrol prices hit new record high

Sun, 16 May 2010 11:53:00 EDT

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Only 10 days to submit your story!

Sun, 16 May 2010 11:30:00 EDT

Budding young writers have the chance to show off their talents; with a story competition from Yorkshire based National Breakdown. If you are 16 years or under, you have 10 days left to pen a piece entitled �My Journey�. National Breakdown are looking for inspiring or imaginative stories, between 250 and 300 words long, which describe a journey that the writer has taken or imagined. The overall winner of the competition will receive �100 worth of Argos gift vouchers and an England Supporters kit containing flags, face paint, fun wigs and an inflatable hand. Eleven runners up will also win an England supporters kit each, in time to cheer England on in the World Cup. The competition is a great chance for aspiring authors to showcase their story online, as the competition winner will have their story published on the National Breakdown website for the entire year. Every visitor and customer will have access to the Journey tales. The eleven runners-up will be published on the site for a month each, one at a time, over the next twelve months. Submit your piece directly online before May 26th. To read the full rules and guidelines, please visit www.nbclick.com

Buy now, pay later &keep your fingers crossed?

cb@nbclick.com — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 07:46:00 EDT

When did the car become an essential item? It wasn�t that long ago that a car was a luxury item that you could barely afford when settled into your first job. Yet today, it seems that even students are car owners. Whether we like it or not, the car is a necessity for many people and the younger generation seems to be fuelling this trend. With the average cost of running a car now topping �15 a day, and the average price of a buying a car standing at �4000, it seems clear why so many of those on a low income, such as students, end up in serious debt. As a parent, it�s worrying enough knowing that your kids are venturing out in their first car on for the first time without worrying how they are going to be able to afford the fees, and living expenses of college or University on top of the �necessary� car. Getting into debt as a student isn�t difficult. The average student leaves their study with over �13, 000 of debt. Add into the mix the necessity of a car and that debt can rise significantly. But it�s often the unexpected costs of car ownership that is underestimated by new drivers. Wear and tear, car park bumps, MOT�s, brakes and exhausts, flat batteries, things that most of us know how to prevent from failing � are often left to crossed fingers for new and cash-strapped drivers. Ironically, it is this very group of drivers who are more likely to save money by having breakdown cover yet choose to take the gamble instead. On average a *new driver is 3 times more likely than an experienced driver to require breakdown help, yet it is the experienced drivers who are just over 10 times more likely to purchase breakdown insurance, saving an incredible amount of money, time and hassle in the event of a problem. Those who don�t consider breakdown cover, or simply think they can�t afford it, may find that what they end up with is further debt in the event of a breakdown. Most breakdown organisations offer the option of purchasing breakdown cover for a family member or friend, which is a fantastic gift idea for someone who is leaving home. Ian Roper of National Breakdown comments; �The underlying problem here is false economy. Some people cross their fingers and take the risk � which can sometimes pay off; however, when you consider that 1 in 8 of us will break down in any 12 month period, our personal economy is fairly sure to be compromised at some point. This is even more certain for those who don�t take care of their car. Buying a gift that costs less than �50 but could save the member �500 will be appreciated. It�s like winning the jackpot when someone gave you a scratch card.� (*<3 years)

Top 10 Most Expensive Cars 2010

cb@nbclick.com — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 07:44:00 EDT

Have you checked your lottery ticket this week? If you haven't, you could be looking forward to your dream house, a dream holiday in the sunshine, all the luxuries you could ever want, and the icing on the cake? - the car that goes beyond the dreams of your dream car. In the words of Jeremy Clarkson "Supercars are designed to melt ice caps, kill the poor, poison the water table, destroy the ozone layer, decimate indigenous wildlife, recapture the Falkland Islands and turn the entire third world into a huge uninhabitable desert." But despite this, if you had the money?... Koenigsegg Trevita � (�1.5 Million $ 2.21 million � 1.58m) The Trevita was limited to only three cars hence the name Trevita, which means Three white in Swedish. Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport � (�1.31 Million $ 2 million � 1.43m) "With the transparent roof removed, air resistance limits the Grand Sport to 217 mph, but you'd want that roof on for a top-speed run anyway; the wind could rip your face off at around 245." (http://www.wired.com) Cinque Pagani Zonda Roadster � (�1.18 Million $ 1.8 million � 1.29M) 5 units will be produced - 60 MPH from a standstill in just 3.4 seconds and hit 200 km/h in under ten seconds and it won�t stop until it reaches a top speed of 217 MPH. Lamborghini Reventon Roadster �(�1 Million $ 1.56 million � 1.12M) and Lamborghini Reventon � (� 0.93 million $ 1.42 million � 1.02m) The 6.5 liter twelve-cylinder generates 493 kW (670 PS), catapulting the Roadster from 0 to 100 Km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 3.4 seconds and onwards to a top speed of 330 KM/h (205 mph) Maybach Landaulet �(�0.92 Million $ 1.4 million � 1.00m) The luxurious Maybach Landaulet offers an open air experience as Maybach technicians have removed the rear roof module. Koenigsegg CCXR � (�1.5 Million$ 1.3 million � 932.768) An impressive 259 mph (417 km/h), theoretically making it the fastest production car in the world. Koenigsegg CCX � (�.72 Million $ 1.1 million � 789.265) The CCX was first unveiled on February 28, 2006 at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. The main difference between this and the above is that CCXR's engine is tuned to run on biofuel. The different fuel and tune allows the CCXR to produce 25% more power than the CCX. Leblanc Mirabeau � (�502,000 $ 765,000 � 548.898) The LeBlanc Mirabeau features 4.7 L Koenigsegg V8. The top speed of the LeBlanc Mirabeau is about 230 mph SSC Ultimate Aero � (�485,880 $ 740,000 � 530.960) The fastest street legal car in the world (apparently!) with a top speed of 257 mph+ and reaching 0-60 in 2.7 seconds

Writing competition fuels the imagination

Sun, 16 May 2010 05:46:00 EDT

Youngsters get chance to tell their story Budding young writers have the chance to show off their talents; with the launch of a story competition from Yorkshire based National Breakdown. The journey services and specialist insurance company is asking children and teenagers, who are 16 years or under, to pen a piece entitled �My Journey�. National Breakdown are looking for inspiring or imaginative stories, between 250 and 300 words long, which describe a journey that the writer has taken or imagined. The competition ends on the day the FIFA world Cup begins and the overall winner of the competition will receive �100 worth of Argos gift vouchers and an England Supporters kit containing flags, face paint, fun wigs and an inflatable hand. Eleven runners up will also win an England supporters kit each, in time to cheer England on in the World Cup. The competition is a great chance for aspiring authors to showcase their story online, as the competition winner will have their story published on the National Breakdown website for the entire year. Every visitor and customer will have access to the Journey tales. The eleven runners-up will be published on the site for a month each, one at a time, over the next twelve months. Carolyn Bowe, Marketing Director at National Breakdown said: �At National Breakdown, we help our members with their journeys every day and after 25 years we have some great stories to tell. Now we would like to hear other people�s stories about their journeys. Entrants can be as imaginative as they like � it can be a real journey or one that they would like to make and it doesn�t have to be a physical journey, it could be a life journey or a journey of overcoming almost impossible odds.� National Breakdown are looking forward to receiving some exciting pieces to read and publish on their website, and the winning entries will be the ones that the judges think have shown the most imagination. National Breakdown offers a range of journey services, including Breakdown assistance in the UK and Europe, Commercial insurance, travel insurance, breakdown cover and vehicle inspection. It has grown in recent years to become one of the preferred service providers to business fleet and haulage clients in the UK. Their Truck Assist product was the first Insured breakdown cover for HGV�s on the UK market. To enter the competition and to read the full rules and guidelines, please visit www.nbclick.com

Ash Effect - Fatal Consequences?

cb@nbclick.com — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 04:38:00 EDT

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11th in 2001, many travellers chose to substitute flying for land transportation. Whilst it is agreed that the flying is generally perceived to be more dangerous than driving, most of us are aware that it isn't. It was strongly suggested at the time by researchers that people abandoned flying after 9/11 due to the raised level of anxiety. Consequently, road fatalities during this period rose significantly due to the increase in vehicles on the road which has since been referred to as the '9/11 effect�. In the US where internal flights are a necessity due to the huge distances involved and where the research took place, a Department in Cornell University wrote "Our results show that the public response to terrorist threats can create unintended consequences that rival the attacks themselves in severity." Today, whilst there have been no terror attacks: due to the ash from the Icelandic Volcano, the skies in the UK and Europe have been given back to nature. As we enter our third day of grounded domestic flights in the UK and with land transportation beginning to feel the strain, could the consequences here be far more reaching than anticipated? If those who normally take internal flights can't - and take to the road instead, it possible we could see a similar '9/11 effect' mimicked (on a smaller scale) in the UK? As a breakdown organisation, we are showing a marginal increase today in the numbers of calls for help whether this is due to the increased road traffic from frustrated air travellers, only time will tell. Any significance to an 'Ash Effect' will become evident if the volcano continues to spew its cloud into our airspace resulting in a longer term grounding of our aircraft. Carolyn bowe, a spokesperson from National breakdown commented �We are concerned that the consequences of this eruption may impact on road transport services more than we could imagine at this stage. We are therefore monitoring the traffic flows and preparing for significant increased in calls for assistance.�