- Revise your breakdown and insurance details
- Clever ‘car health’ cribs before heading to college
- Research your parking options as soon as possible
With the ‘Class of 2025’ achieving outstanding grades and an estimated 665,000 new students due to start university or college next month and over 2.3 million people studying full-time, leading UK breakdown provider Start Rescue is offering advice on how to get cars ready for college life.
“Not everyone takes a car or motorcycle to college, but September sees big changes with tens of thousands of vehicles having a new address and drivers taking a car away from home for the first time without family there to help. A bit of planning, even if you’ve just accepted an offer is our strong recommendation,” says Lee Puffett from Start Rescue.
Two essentials are updating breakdown cover and insurance details, letting these key providers know where the car is so policies remain valid. Start Rescue don’t charge for making this change and it’s as easy as visiting their website. For existing students if you’re moving off (or back onto) campus this should be flagged.
Lee adds: “Many colleges have multiple car parks and campuses, so if you need breakdown assistance, be as clear as you can with either a car park or campus name. Try What3words for an exact location, that’s a big help for our network if you have a problem.”
Paul Elliott, General Manager of Hobbs Recovery Services, members of the Start Rescue national network, recommends some car health check ‘cribs’ before heading off to college.
“Check the condition of the tyres, especially tread levels, so you’re legal and safe. Fill-up fluids to recommended manufacturer levels and use a trickle charger to get the battery in tip-top condition. Before you leave, pack the spare key and inflate the tyres to the right levels if you’re taking lots of luggage and adding weight, it saves fuel and is important for safety.”
Swotting-up on parking availability is key. Many universities have limited spaces or impose parking restrictions, whilst some ask students not to drive and use public transport. Other universities have more generous residential parking and it’s just a matter of submitting an application in good time.
Start Rescue’s advice is to always visit the university’s website once you’ve accepted an offer (most have very detailed parking sections) and decide whether taking the car to college is practical and affordable.
One last piece of advice from Lee Puffett if those taking their cars to college:
“If you go to your car during a break between lectures, try not to use the car’s equipment as this is the main cause of breakdowns at colleges and universities, where doors are left open and welcome lights are permanently on, the ignition is switched on for air conditioning and entertainment systems, but the car’s battery is drained flat because the car isn’t running.
“Please don’t run the car in idle mode, as it’s not good for the environment. Instead, enjoy your space in your car, but always close the doors or switch off interior lights, open windows, keep ignition off and listen to your music through your phone.”
Start Rescue has a 4.7-star rating on Trustpilot, a five-star Defaqto* rating and has achieved Which? Recommended Provider status for six years running. Start Rescue has also been awarded best Breakdown Cover provider in the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards 2024 (www.finder.com), scoring 4.9 out of 5 for overall satisfaction with a 94% recommendation rate.