Consumer news

Fewer motorists are being caught behind the wheel while over the alcohol limit. Of 148,000 stopped and tested in December, only 6.6 per cent failed, compared with 6.9 per cent in December 2005, says the Association of Chief Police Officers.

GARAGE owners can earn more from their premises than by selling cars. A spokesman for the Institute of Motoring Industry said: “Most dealers get one to two per cent profit on cars each year. But the site’s value could rise by up to 10 per cent annually.”

MISLEADING advertising has landed dealer chain Reg Vardy in trouble. The Sunderland-based firm was forced to change finance ads in Scotland and the north of England after the Office of Fair Trading ruled it had not published typical APRs correctly.

INSURING your car costs more than ever! A five per cent rise in premiums over the last three months has put the average comprehensive policy at £806 a year – that’s twice the rate in 1994, according to the AA British Insurance Premium Index.