Advice booklet on buying first car

Young drivers looking to buy their first car can now get helpful advice thanks to a free booklet, Powys County Council has announced.

The council’s Road Safety Unit and Trading Standards Service have joined forces to offer a booklet called ‘On the road: A guide to buying your first car’.  The booklet has been produce by the Trading Standards Institute.

The booklet will be distributed by the Road Safety Unit to secondary school pupils in years 11 and 12 as part of their road safety lessons.  The 32-page booklet provides information on numerous aspects of buying your first car including legal rights, dealing with problems, common problems and maintaining your car.

Cllr Geraint Hopkins, Board Member responsible for Road Safety, said: “Ensuring that our roads are safe for everyone is an important aim for our Road Safety Unit.  By providing this booklet to young drivers as part of their road safety lessons, they can avoid any pitfalls when they want to buy their first car and ensure that it is safe and road worthy.”

Cllr Graham Brown, Board Member responsible for Public Protection, said: "Buying a car is a big step, and it's important to think about what you want before you start looking. Making these important decisions will help you to avoid problems later on. Even if you don't know anything about how a car works, there are things that you can look out for before you buy your car to check that it is safe, legal and in a reasonable condition.

In addition to being distributed in schools, limited copies of the booklet are available from the Road Safety Unit or Trading Standards Service.  To request your free copy, ring 0845 6027030 or 01597 827460 and ask for Trading Standards or the Road Safety Unit or email trading.standards@powys.gov.uk to request a copy.

If you require consumer advice about the purchase of a car please contact Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 or visit their website http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk