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4 Wheels On The Ground™/ Text / Daniel Adjei / 4th March 2008 17 at last. Sell off the moped; get out of that noisy, small, and annoying vehicle and get ready to put four wheels on the ground. The theory test is 50 questions now so revise hard so that precious £30 or so doesn’t go to waste, find and book an instructor and tell them you’re on the way. Say goodbye to London Transport everyone, unless of course you like sitting on the bus? First Car Advice It’s not actually easy finding a first car. Especially when you’re 17. You’ve passed your driving test, all of your mates have great, nice looking cars, and the occasional fast and furious movie comes out and you’re wondering why it seems impossible for you to get a pimped out ride. Also, you’re a little low on cash too. Well for all of you about to buy your first car, here’s why you might wanna take it slow. Insurance Yes, Insurance. You might think, what is the point? And that the government is taking this whole insurance thing way too seriously. Well, did you know the most accidents on the road today involve young drivers between the ages of 17 and 25? I hope you new drivers saved up for insurance because insurers don’t joke. The reason car insurance for young people is so high is because the insurance companies realise it’s the young people that cause the most accidents. Irresponsible driving, speeding, drink-driving, the list goes on. Even driving without insurance! You may be a responsible driver, but truth be told that you may never convince an insurer until you’re about… 50 years old! If you have a good no claims bonus that is. From 17 to 25 you’ll be paying large amounts of money to people who have plenty of it because there’s too many youths out there of your age causing a whole load of damage to their vehicles and other people’s. It might not be your fault, but that’s the price you have to pay if you want to drive and if you want to drive young. Be realistic, bigger engines means more money. However, there are many ways to lower costs of insurance: • Buying your insurance online • Adding a parent or partner with a good no claims history • Taking a Pass Plus course • Keeping your ride parked in the garage or driveway DO NOT DRINK-DRIVE OR TAKE DRUGS Performance Car Dangers It’s hard not to dive straight into the big things. Boys love fast cars, girls love them too. But no one loves a big accident. Recently, five teenagers living in the US were killed in a terrible BMW M5 crash. The driver was just 18. Anyone who’s familiar with a BMW M5 knows it’s a 500bhp 5 litre V10 beast. If you have an 18 year old behind the wheel of that there’s bound to be an accident. There’s just no need. You don’t want to die young, or in a car for that matter. Take your time with your cars, responsibility ensures your safety. Fuel Prices As fuel prices are increasing to well over a pound a litre, I bet all the people driving Ferraris and Lamborghinis are wishing they had a tank the size of a little Micra right about now. Anything with a cubic capacity of over 2000 will drink petrol like there’s no tomorrow. And let’s not avoid the whole global warming issue. Whatever that is. But we are basically paying to destroy the earth we live in. You might as well wait until some great invention is created that protects our earth from whatever it is that’s harming it before you move on to buying a big engined, fuel guzzling monster. For now, I’m sure the one litres will do just fine. It’s not like we have the money to waste on 80 litres of super unleaded, eh? Have a look at the cars below: Peugeot 206 Ford Focus Ford Fiesta Ford KA Renault Clio Vauxhall Corsa Volkswagen Polo Volkswagen Golf Nissan Micra Buying The Car You Want Once you’ve found it, make sure it’s worth it. Honestly, you don’t want a car that’s going to break down within the next 500 miles or so. Check the mileage and make sure it’s reasonable - by reasonable I mean between 40-60 thousand miles. There’s nothing wrong with cars of mileage any higher, but when it comes to selling the car off, those huge numbers will certainly turn a few heads in the direction you don’t want them to turn, so be wise. Furthermore, if buying a car off a friend or someone you don’t know, don’t take anyone’s word for it. Test the car out for yourself or don’t buy it. In the end it’s you who’s going to be driving it, so be sure to check if the car is up to your standards. Last but not least, avoid buying damaged cars or faulty cars. No matter how nice the car may seem. If the owner hasn’t repaired it, it’s probably because it’s too expensive. You don’t want those kinds of bills on your hands. Last Minute Driving Tips Be careful. Don’t drive drunk, or high, or under any influence. Driving young is a privilege, so be responsible. Stay legal Don’t try to escape road tax, insurance or the MOT. The last thing you want is to get into trouble and risk getting a criminal record. Stay safe Wear your seatbelts, service your car when needed, don’t speed and keep reading your highway code book. The best drivers never stop learning. Bless up!		Bashy Interview The Cool Kids Lady Lykes Grimes New School Rowdy Superstar Interview The Sound Of Reason Slash Interview Hoxton Vs Hampstead Fashion Young Designers Lucinda Chua Interview Will Kay Interview The Brothers Size Chris Lambert Duane Henry Drug Trafficking Feature Does My Bum Look Big in This Life After Prison Whats Upsetting Our Children MP Julia Goldsworthy Autechre Live In London Hardcore Is More Than Music Media Box Paddington Development Trust The Cut On Myspace