A You have too many people and too few seatbelts. According to the Highway Code, children under three must be seated in child restraints, and three to 11-year-olds must use either child restraints or adult belts. Children aged 12 and above (or anyone over 4ft 9in tall) must wear an adult seat belt if available. This is the driver’s responsibility until the child is 14.
Whether driving here or in France, don’t be tempted to carry six people with only five restraints (and there isn’t room to safely fit more), because apart from breaking the law, the unbelted sixth passenger would be at risk. If you were involved in an accident, although your insurers would pay third-party claims, they could argue over claims for your damages.
Ian Crowder of AA insurance said: “Your insurer will make a decision based on the circumstances of the crash. If the overloading is deemed to be a contributory factor, then you could find you’ll only get third-party cover. Regardless of the insurance implications, it pays to remember that some countries, Spain for example, have very strict rules on overloading and, if stopped, you could find yourself banned from driving there.”
You could hire an MPV for your holiday. Europcar, www.europcar.co.uk, last week quoted £1,001 for two weeks’ rental of a Kia Sedona seven-seater in August.
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Q The water from my windscreen washer bottle has a pungent odour that fills the car whenever I operate the washer. I’ve always used commercial fluid and have tried draining and refilling it. How can I get rid of the smell? — JD from Braintree, Essex
A This sounds, or rather smells, like some kind of bacterial problem. Draining the washer reservoir will get rid of stale water but reservoir shapes are often complex and it’s probable that you’ve got some smelly residue sticking to the sides. The answer is to blast it out with a garden hose. It might also be a good idea to use a rinse-off household bathroom cleaner with anti-fungicide. When it’s clean, use a ready-mixed screenwash at the higher, winter concentration.
Q I used to have an estate car that was useful for taking waste to the municipal tip. My new car is a Jaguar S-type saloon with a smallish boot. Does anyone make a towbar that can be easily fitted and removed and would not mark the car. I would only need to tow a lightweight trailer — BH from Swanley, Kent
A Jaguar makes its own detachable towing bracket. It locks into place and can be easily removed, but only with the key, so it’s safe from nefarious fingers if you leave it in place. A by-product of its ease of removal is that you won’t trip over it or dirty your trousers on the grease when it’s not in use. But at £800 (including fitting) it’s not cheap.
Several aftermarket suppliers can supply a fixed bracket for about £180, to which you’d need to add about £35 for electrics and three or four hours’ fitting time at a garage. Try Towsure (0870 60 900 70, www.towsure.co.uk) or TowbarsRus (0709 467 0945, www.towbarsrus.com). Make sure that whatever you choose is approved to Euro standard 94/20 EC which applies to towing brackets fitted to passenger cars made on or after August 1, 1998.
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Q Can you suggest a good air pump for tyres? I find that I lose a lot of air when I use a pressure gauge, then the pump. Is there a model that combines both? — AR from Stanmore
A You’re wise to keep an eye on your tyre pressures: under-inflated tyres wear unevenly so you have to replace them sooner. More importantly, they can lead to steering, handling and braking imbalances that can cause accidents. It’s a good idea to have your own gauge, because those on garage forecourts are often inaccurate due to a lack of care from the average motorist. Having a 12V compressor powered from the cigar lighter is a great idea. In a recent Auto Express test, the Challenge 750/5852 compressor (£22.99 from Argos, 0870 60