The world of automotive sound design is changing. No longer is it adequate to have an AM/FM radio. Long gone are the days of boasting about the humble subwoofer. These days, cars are chipped with intelligent speakers, 3D soundscapes and smart interfaces. What a time to be alive.

Whether you want to be immersed in pure, 24-speaker sound serenity or you’re pursuing an exact acoustic recreation of the studio in which your favourite track was recorded, we’ve had a look at the cars destined to impress audiophiles and chosen our top of the pops.

Fiat Beats 500 L

The sassy little Fiat 500L gets a serious sound injection from the doctor with its very own Beats by Dre collaboration. Six speakers and an intelligent subwoofer combine to create what’s claimed to be ‘an experience as close as possible to what the artist intended in the studio’. It even looks a little bit like a pair of Beats headphones – all piano black surfaces and red accents. With its polished, holistic design, playful driving style and immersive sound system we think it’s a petite treat with a whole lot of beat.

Mercedes-Benz S Class Coupé

Speaking of luxury, if a Mercedes-Benz is more your thing, the S Class, with its gamut of swoon-inducing tech, will make your heart slam faster than a tennis ball in a centrifuge. Such sensations need a fitting audio experience to back them up, so be sure to specify the Burmester sound system, offering a three-dimensional sound experience that makes Sydney Opera House look a little on the amateur side. Devised by sound-design maestro Dieter Burmester, it’s been tweaked to create an immersive soundscape that will delight purists. No fewer than 24 speakers, roof panel loudspeaker and menu of listening settings await to show you exactly why you invested in all those .FLAC files.

Taking place on Sunday 14th August the Speyside Kiltwalk is one of the more strenuous routes of the four taking place this year but possibly the most beautiful with the rugged Scottish countryside to look at on the way.

As with the other Kiltwalks there are three distances walkers can sign up to, The Mighty Stride (26 miles), The Big Stroll (16 miles) and the Wee Wander (5 miles +).

The Speyside Kiltwalk route mainly follows the Speyside Way, which comprises scenic and rugged coastal paths, forested tracks and tarmac roads that provide a contrast of beautiful scenery and varied terrain.

The mighty stride starts in Buckie at the Ian Johnston Park where you’ll find a children’s play area and formal landscaping.

Head along the coast and enjoy views of Spey Bay and the North Sea to the Scottish Dolphin Centre on the mouth of the river Spey. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the world’s largest bottlenose dolphins, known to frequent the waters of the bay.

Follow the Speyside Way to Bicentenary Park where the The Big Stroll joins the route and you’ll find pit stop number two. The Speyside Way offers a lot in terms of rural views, with Ben Aigan in the distance, Ben Rinnes, open countryside and of course the River Spey.

You’ll then pass by the Earth Pillars, mounds of earth that have been resistant to corrosion – a geological phenomenon, and the enchanting wood of Scots pines overlooking the River Spey.

At mile 16 of the walk you’ll find twin bridges at the Boat o’ Brig crossing the river Spey, a Telford bridge built in 1814 and a more modern road bridge opened in 1970. Historic records tell us that a bridge has been at Boat o’ Brig since 1232, built by the Romans under Emperor Severus. Later on a ferry was introduced to cross the river and the area became known as ‘The Boat of Bridge.’ It also happens to be the location of pit stop number four. The bridges at Boat 'o Brig, Creative Commons: Ann Burgess.

The route from Boat o’ Brig is strenuous up to the next pit stop located at Forest Track, Arndilly. On the route you’re likely to see Arndilly House, a Palladian mansion dating from 1770.

Fiddich Park is where the Wee Wander joins the route and where you’ll find pit stop six in the village of Craigellachie. Its name comes from the steep cliff you’ll be able to see on part of the walk. This is where the River Spey meets the River Fiddich.

After Fiddich Park you’ll pass the area where one of the five distilleries owned by John Dewar & Sons Distillers is located, the Craigellachie distillery that dates back to 1890.

Along the route you might see Aberlour Parish Church, a Norman-style building that was rebuilt in 1861 following a fire. Aberlour Parish Church in the square, Creative Commons: Ronnnie Leask

The route winds uphill in its 26th mile (15 for the Big Stroll or 5.5 if you’re doing the Wee Wander) at Alice Littler Park. The park was donated by Sydney Littler in 1980 and is used for the annual Aberlour Strathspey Highland Games.

For this weekend only, from 12th–16th August, we are offering you £750 cashback over and above our already fantastic deals on new Renault Clio, Captur and Kadjar models.

To be eligible, you must order within this period and have your car registered before 30th September 2016.

Let’s take a look at the models you can choose from.

Renault Captur

If you’re looking for something slightly bigger than a supermini, but not quite as spacious as the Kadjar, look no further than Renault’s compact crossover. With a practical interior, near-endless customisation options and a full five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, the Captur is the perfect choice for families.

If you’d like to take any of these models for a spin to see what suits you, just contact your local Arnold Clark Renault branch to book an appointment.

Terms and conditions: £750 cashback only on retail orders placed for brand-new Renault Captur, Clio and Kadjar from 12th to 16th August 2016 and must be registered before 30th September 2016. Ask in branch for details.

From 22nd August to 26th September, you can enjoy an extra £500 off all existing offers on a new Clio, Captur, KADJAR, or all-new Mégane when you purchase following a test drive.

How does it work?

All you need to do is book a test drive of any of the above models before 26th September 2016. If you decide to buy, we’ll take £500 off the price.

You can scoop up this offer on all versions of the above models if you order your new car before 26th September and register it by the end of September 2016.

The last-ever, third-generation Renault Sport Mégane has just recently rolled off the production line in Palencia, Spain, and into our Dundee Renault branch.

A total of 30,000 of these vehicles have been made, and they’ve been stocked in 30 different countries, from the Pacific to Australasia. But the final car has now been built – and it’s destined for a UK buyer.

Interior

Sitting inside this unique piece of Renault Sport history is really something else. From behind the Alcantara steering wheel, you can relax in its leather Recaro sports seats, track your performance on the Renault Sport Monitor V2 and plan your journey and its soundtrack from your R-Link multimedia system.

Additional tech

As if this model wasn’t equipped enough with optional extras, it also comes with hands-free keycard for keyless entry, a 7-inch touchscreen and satellite navigation.

Price

This special Mégane can be yours for just £26,988.

This is a fantastic opportunity, as the owner will not only drive away in a rare model, but will also enjoy a significant discount, saving £4,942 on the manufacturer’s recommended on-the-road retail price.

Toyota is now gearing up for the release of its first hybrid C-crossover, the C-HR, which will hit Arnold Clark branches in January 2017.

The C-HR stunned attendees at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, where its aggressive styling and bold design simply couldn’t be ignored.

As we come ever closer to its official UK launch, we take a look at everything you can expect from this game-changing car.

SUV, coupé? Both?

‘With the Toyota C-HR, we are trying to introduce a new value into the C-crossover market. But we’re not trying to make an SUV that’s dynamic; rather, a dynamic vehicle with SUV-like properties.’ Kazuhiko Isawa, Chief Designer

The C-HR has all of the trademarks of an SUV – large wheels, powerful wheel arches and crossover rocker panel among others. However, its profile belies a coupé-like cabin.

With slim A-pillars, ‘floating roof’ design and hidden rear door handles, the C-HR keeps you guessing.

Interior features

Taking centre stage as you relax in the C-HR’s plush leather seats is the 8-inch infotainment screen, which is poised at a slightly jaunty angle amid a ribbon-like trim, which appears to be draped across the dash.

Toyota explains the placement of the infotainment screen in terms of improving driver visibility:

‘Because the touch-screen stands proud of the instrument panel rather than being enclosed by it, the depth of the upper dashboard is kept low, helping maintain good forward vision for the driver.’

Toyota describes the C-HR’s interior as a ‘new departure’ into ‘Sensual Tech’ design, which combines high-tech features with fashionable styling. This is most evident in the consistency between the exterior shape and the speaker grilles, tweeter shape and even the instrument dials, which all feature the same diamond cluster-like motif.

Hybrid powertrain

The hybrid system used in the C-HR is completely new to Toyota.

In comparison with the previous system, the new one is lighter and smaller and also better positioned. All of these factors contribute to the car’s low centre of gravity.

Fitted with the latest hybrid power plant, you can enjoy best-in-class CO2 emissions.

Colours

There will be nine exterior colour options to choose from, although some are exclusive to certain trim levels or ‘grades’. These are: Tokyo Red, Nebula Blue, Eclipse Black, Tyrol Silver, Havana Brown, Solid White, White Pearl, Metal Stream and Decuma Grey.

You can choose from three colourways for the interior of your C-HR; grey, black/blue or black/brown.

Price and availability

The exact price of the C-HR is still to be revealed, but the UK release date has been confirmed for January 2017.

We will be accepting pre-orders of the C-HR from 1st October 2016 at all of our Toyota branches.

If you’d like us to keep you up to date with all upcoming C-HR news, just fill out our enquiry form below.

Gemma has been captain of the Scotland Women's National Football team for the past seven years and is the goalkeeper. She’s achieved 193 international caps for Scotland, making her the most capped player in the UK overall. Impressively, she won her first cap aged 16.

Recently, she has worked with SportScotland as a partnership manager but has various other guises, including being a commentator, TV presenter, athlete mentor and actress in Sky Living show Rubenesque. Throughout her football career she has played with English sides Brighton & Hove Albion and Leeds United and Scottish teams Celtic and Glasgow City.

The Scotland team are currently gearing up for their UEFA European Championship Qualifier match against Iceland on the 20th September this year.

Upon receiving a BMW 1 Series from Arnold Clark, Gemma said,

‘I am absolutely delighted to be supported by Arnold Clark in helping me achieve my sporting goals. The traits of what it takes to be an international athlete and a successful business are very similar and I am looking forward to working in partnership with Arnold Clark to achieve continued success.’

Group Franchise Director Russell Borrie said, ‘We’re thrilled to be supporting Gemma Fay in her sporting career. She’s a fantastic role model and we look forward to following her achievements. The 1 Series is a great choice and it will help her to get around during her busy days.’

How does it work?

Enjoy a test drive in a brand new 66-plate or delivery mileage car from 9th–12th September at an Arnold Clark branch, and receive a £25 restaurant voucher.*

In addition, any new car purchases will receive a FREE 2-year Service Plan up to the value of £400.

Simple!

*By appointment only.

Where can I spend my voucher?

You can redeem your voucher at a mouth-watering range of high street food chains, including Pizza Express, Jamie’s Italian, Nando's, Zizzi’s, Yo! Sushi and Ask Italian, among others.

Extra opportunities to grab a voucher

If all that sounds a bit too much like hard work for you, fear not! There will be other opportunities to grab a restaurant voucher on our Twitter page, so keep your eyes peeled.

More information

£500 gift with every new Vauxhall

From 9th–12th September, you can claim a tasty £25 restaurant voucher with Drive In Dine Out when you take a test-drive in a brand-new Vauxhall. Loved the drive? If you purchase your new Vauxhall during this weekend then we’ll tack on a free 2-year Service Plan worth up to £400* and a debit card pre-loaded with £500**.

It really is as simple as that.

What will you spend your £500 on?

Think what you could do with £500. You could take a weekend break, start your Christmas shopping early or do up a room of your house!

It’s your choice, you can spend your £500 gift on anything you like.

Which Vauxhall will you choose?

With our selection of new Vauxhall models from £8495 such as the smooth, award-winning Astra, robust, compact SUV the Mokka and the cool Adam you’re certainly spoilt for choice.

We’ve grown. After acquiring two Volkswagen sites in Bathgate and Stirling we’ve chosen to expand them so we can offer you even more choice.

Bathgate Volkswagen

Bathgate Volkswagen , situated on Blackburn Road, now has the space to offer 100 new, nearly-new and used cars. With plans to expand this to 150 cars, not only is there more choice in-store, customers will also have access to the Arnold Clark Group stock of over 18,000 cars.

General manager Chris Boyd takes the helm at Bathgate Volkswagen. He’s been part of the company for 16 years and so is well-placed to offer help and guidance at the branch.

The Bathgate branch offers vehicle sales, servicing and repairs and parts and accessories from a site that has been selling Volkswagen cars for 50 years.

Arnold Clark Volkswagen Franchise Manager Roch Starrs said of the expansion,

‘With the acquisition of these two exciting branches we’ll be able to build on some excellent foundations in Bathgate and Stirling. Both branches have the benefit of some truly experienced staff members. As a Dunblane local, I’m delighted to see Arnold Clark acquiring Volkswagen in the area, and I can’t wait to welcome both new and familiar faces into the branch.’

The Great Run Company, which has national events such as the Great North Run and the Great Scottish Run under its belt, is truly an inspirational organisation. The first Great North Run took place back in 1981 (we were almost 30 years old back then!), with only 12,000 people taking part. By 2011, that number had grown to 54,000.

Since its establishment, the company has had over 270,000 participants and has raised £25m for charity.

We at Arnold Clark are just as passionate when it comes to supporting our local communities as this inspiring organisation is, and that’s why Arnold Clark Automobiles will be the official fleet provider for all events. Our branded cars and vans will help transport athletes, equipment and staff between the various events that will take place across the country over the next twelve months.

Mark Hollinshead, Group Chief Executive of the Great Run Company, shared his thoughts on the new partnership:

‘The Great Run Company is famous for delivering world-class events. Our partnership with Arnold Clark, Europe’s largest independently owned car company, is a perfect fit. Arnold Clark will be supplying branded cars and vans to Great Run events to ensure our athletes, event team and stakeholders have the best transport when travelling to and from the start and finish line, starting with the world’s biggest half-marathon, the Great North Run.’

The Great North Run, which kicks off on Sunday, 11th September, will be broadcast on BBC One and is expected to have over 56,000 participants.

Gary Murphy, Arnold Clark Ford Franchise Manager, commented on the sponsorship:

‘We’re thrilled to be official vehicle suppliers to The Great Run Company. As a national company it’s always been important to Arnold Clark to promote sport in our local communities.

‘In this, our third year of running our sports kit giveaway, ‘Gear Up For Sport’, it feels very fitting that we can show our support to this epic event.’

The Great Run Company has many exciting events lined up for the year ahead, for both adults and children. More information can be found on their website.

From 9th–19th September, you can enjoy an extra £1000 off a new Clio, Captur, KADJAR, or all-new Mégane when you purchase following a test drive.

How does it work?

All you need to do is book a test drive of any of the above models before 19th September 2016. If you decide to buy, we’ll take £1000 off the price.

You can scoop up this offer on all versions of the above models if you order your new car before 19th September and register it by the end of September 2016.

Terms and conditions: Offer for £1000 off is available to retail customers only. Offer can be used in conjunction with all other offers and is available on the Clio, Captur, All-New KADJAR and All-New Mégane models when ordered between 9th -19th September 2016 and registered before 30 September 2016.

Arnold Clark recently donated a Fiat 500 Pop to Children in Need as part of their Bank of Scotland fundraiser raffle. The competition was open to all 70,000 Bank of Scotland employees across the Group and ran during summer. Tickets cost £5 and CiN had a fundraising target of £100,000.

The lucky winner was Manjula Sood from Hounslow who kindly gave the car to her dad Yogender. She said,

‘I’m delighted with the new Fiat 500. It’s a fantastic prize to win and I’m pleased the money raised has gone to an incredibly worthy cause.’

Since Children in Need began in 1980 it has raised over £600 million for disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. The charity has a yearly appeal in November, where it takes over the BBC for an evening of entertainment, celebrities and fun to help raise money.

On the night, one-off specials of some of the nation’s favourite programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and Doctor Who are screened. An official single is also released and in recent years they’ve had the talented Jess Glynne, Ellie Goulding and Gareth Malone’s All Star Choir perform.

Charity Manager Rachael McCaffrey said, ‘We’re delighted Arnold Clark could support our competition with a fantastic prize which helped us raise thousands of pounds that will make a huge difference to children’s lives throughout the UK.’

There are a range of driving offences for which a driver can incur penalty points on their licence record, a monetary fine, or in many cases both.

Penalty points or endorsements on a driving licence are given when a driving offence has been committed that is listed in Part 3 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 (RTOA).

Penalty points

The minimum number of points given at any one time is two and the maximum is 11. Points or endorsements carry an offence code that stays on your driving record along with the penalty points for four or 11 years depending on the conviction.

Endorsements can stay on your driving licence for four or 11 years depending on the offence. And they are set on a scale from one to 11, the more serious the offence, the more points you are given. Driving offences are recognised by codes, and the list of these codes is extensive; they’re available on the government website.

Drivers can be disqualified if they receive 12 or more points on their licence within a three-year period, unless they are a new driver. New drivers will have their licence revoked if they receive six or more points within two years of passing their test.

New drivers

If a new driver has their licence revoked for receiving six or more points within the first two years of driving then they are required to apply for a new provisional licence, pass the theory test and practical test in order to regain their full driving licence. This rule was introduced in the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 and states that if needed the court can order the driver to take an extended driving test before their licence will be returned to them.

The endorsement can stay on your driving record from the date the offence took place or the date the driver was convicted, depending on the type of offence.

How long do points stay on my licence?

Some offences such as reckless/dangerous driving (codes DD40, DD60 and DD80) or those that result in disqualification from driving will remain on your licence for four years from the date of conviction.

Other endorsements will remain on your driving record for four years from the date of the offence.

11-year offences will stay on a driving record for 11 years from the date of conviction.

Once the endorsement is expired it will automatically be removed from your driving record. Thanks to the introduction of digital driving records you no longer need to fill out the paperwork associated with endorsement removal (previously a D1 form).

What is a speed awareness course?

Drivers who are guilty of a speeding offence may be offered the chance to attend a speed awareness course as an alternative to penalty points and fines. The course is intended to alter the attitude of speeding drivers through highlighting the potential consequences of their actions. Courses are only offered to those who meet the criteria, who are only marginally above the speed limit and who have not been convicted of a speeding offence in the last three years.

Your driving record

Insurance companies and your employer are able to find out if you have a driving endorsement on your record with your permission. You can check your licence with the view driving licence service on the government website. This was introduced following the abolishment of the paper counterpart. If you are required to drive as part of your job then you will be asked to generate a check code so your potential employer can view your driving record online.

What is a totting up ban?

A totting up ban (code TT99) is when a driver receives 12 or more points on their licence through a number of offences that have been culminated over a three-year period. The recommended ban period is six months, although courts act with discretion.

Crucially, if culminated points expire before the court date, the driver is still liable to a ban, as the court will take the date the offence took place into account and not the court date.

Can I avoid a totting up ban?

By driving safely and adhering to the rules of the road you can avoid gaining endorsements and therefore a totting up ban. Once the ban has been served the points on the licence are taken off.

Driving fines

Fines can be imposed on a driver committing an offence as a fixed penalty notice, that means by the police at the time of the offence or they can be imposed by a court. The minimum fine imposed at the time of the offence is £100 there is no maximum and fines can be imposed for a number of driving and cycling offences.

Courts have the power to impose unlimited fines for serious driving offences such as careless and inconsiderate driving and driving while disqualified among many other offences.

What’s the difference between a revoked licence and a ban?

A revoked licence is taken away and the driver must resit a test, an extended version if needed. When the ban is imposed your licence will be sent to the DVLA when the ban expires the driver’s licence will be returned to them by the DVLA. If the ban was for more than 56 days the licence will be automatically revoked.

The fourth and final Kiltwalk of 2016 takes place on Sunday 18th September and is located in Scotland’s capital, following the same format as the previous Kiltwalks. With three distance options from which to choose, the Mighty Stride, the Big Stroll and the Wee Wander the main route loops around the city with stunning sea and mountain views along the way.

Murrayfield Stadium, the famous home of Scottish rugby, is the start and finish point for all three walks, including the most challenging of all – The Mighty Stride.

Most walkers will exit Murrayfield Stadium and go through Roseburn Public Park, where the route will follow the north edge of the park, then go along the Water of Leith to Roseburn Path, which is part of the National Cycle Network.

After this, you will cut through the grounds of St George’s School for Girls, which is set in 15 acres of landscaped parklands. The school was founded in 1888 – however, the purpose-built campus was constructed in 1914 and designed by renowned Edinburgh architect Arthur Foreman Balfour Paul.

The route continues along the National Cycle Network from Roseburn Path, following onto Blackhall Path towards Silverknowes Golf Club. This is where the route snakes around west of the course, heading towards the coast.

From here, you can enjoy spectacular views of the Forth Estuary and Forth bridges as you walk. Gypsy Brae Recreational Ground is the location of pit stop number one at mile 5.2 of the route, and is also the starting point of the shorter Wee Wander route – which is just 6 miles and starts at 1pm.

Walkers will continue along West Harbour Road through the town of Granton. where you will be able to see boats docked on Granton Harbour, which was once the proud home of larger commercial ships and shipbuilding yards.

If you’re doing The Big Stroll, you’ll start to head towards the finishing line at Murrayfield at this point of the route, around the outskirts of Trinity and towards Maidencraig.

Those taking part in The Mighty Stride, will soon see the welcoming sight of pit stop number two, which is in Victoria Park. This beautiful park has been a Green Flag award winner since 2011, so you can enjoy the flora and rolling parkland as you stroll through the grounds.

The route then briefly follows the Water of Leith, crossing it towards Leith, a unique and culturally diverse town with a fascinating history and a lively mix of bars and restaurants.

Then, you’ll arrive at the coastal pit stop number three at Portobello Promenade. This famous beach offers miles of sand and inspiring views as you walk along the edge of the Georgian town of Portobello.

Heading inland, you’ll follow the meandering Brunstane Burn towards Holyrood. As you pass Niddrie, you may catch a glimpse of the sparkling Duddingston Loch at the south of Holyrood Park.

The walk follows around the southern point of Holyrood Park where you’ll see Arthur’s Seat, an ancient volcano that sits 251 metres above sea level. You’ll also be delighted to come across pit stop number five! It’s in the 640 acre Holyrood Park, which sits next to the Palace of Holyrood House and the Scottish Parliament Building. You might also catch a glimpse of Holyrood Palace as you tackle this part of the walk.

The route continues through Royal Terrace Gardens and King George V Park, a quiet, leafy area that was opened in 1950 by the Duke of Buccleuch as a memorial to its namesake following his death in 1936.

Easter Drylaw Park is next up, a small community park that is also home to pit stop six, just less than three miles from the finishing line. Don’t worry - you’re nearly there!

The final Kiltwalk of 2016 finishes up at Murrayfield Stadium where the route began. Your feet might be aching by this point, but you can be satisfied that you’ve done a great walk – and now you can celebrate your achievement!

And if you haven’t had chance to take part in one of this year’s walks but would like to make a difference to the children of Scotland you can still donate online.

From 9th–26th September, you can enjoy an extra £1000 off a new Clio, Captur, KADJAR, or all-new Mégane when you purchase following a test drive.

How does it work?

All you need to do is book a test drive of any of the above models before 26th September 2016. If you decide to buy, we’ll take £1000 off the price.

You can scoop up this offer on all versions of the above models if you order your new car before 26th September and register it by the end of September 2016.

Terms and conditions: Offer for £1000 off is available to retail customers only. Offer can be used in conjunction with all other offers and is available on the Clio, Captur, All-New KADJAR and All-New Mégane models when ordered between 9th–26th September 2016 and registered before 30 September 2016.

We’ve grown. After acquiring two Volkswagen sites in Bathgate and Stirling we’ve chosen to expand them so we can offer you even more choice.

Bathgate Volkswagen

Bathgate Volkswagen , situated on Blackburn Road, now has the space to offer 100 new, nearly-new and used cars. With plans to expand this to 150 cars, not only is there more choice in-store, customers will also have access to the Arnold Clark Group stock of over 18,000 cars.

General manager Chris Boyd takes the helm at Bathgate Volkswagen. He’s been part of the company for 16 years and so is well-placed to offer help and guidance at the branch.

The Bathgate branch offers vehicle sales, servicing and repairs and parts and accessories from a site that has been selling Volkswagen cars for 50 years.

Arnold Clark Volkswagen Franchise Manager Roch Starrs said of the expansion,

‘With the acquisition of these two exciting branches we’ll be able to build on some excellent foundations in Bathgate and Stirling. Both branches have the benefit of some truly experienced staff members. As a Dunblane local, I’m delighted to see Arnold Clark acquiring Volkswagen in the area, and I can’t wait to welcome both new and familiar faces into the branch.’

The Great Run Company, which has national events such as the Great North Run and the Great Scottish Run under its belt, is truly an inspirational organisation. The first Great North Run took place back in 1981 (we were almost 30 years old back then!), with only 12,000 people taking part. By 2011, that number had grown to 54,000.

Since its establishment, the company has had over 270,000 participants and has raised £25m for charity.

We at Arnold Clark are just as passionate when it comes to supporting our local communities as this inspiring organisation is, and that’s why Arnold Clark Automobiles will be the official fleet provider for all events. Our branded cars and vans will help transport athletes, equipment and staff between the various events that will take place across the country over the next twelve months.

Mark Hollinshead, Group Chief Executive of the Great Run Company, shared his thoughts on the new partnership:

‘The Great Run Company is famous for delivering world-class events. Our partnership with Arnold Clark, Europe’s largest independently owned car company, is a perfect fit. Arnold Clark will be supplying branded cars and vans to Great Run events to ensure our athletes, event team and stakeholders have the best transport when travelling to and from the start and finish line, starting with the world’s biggest half-marathon, the Great North Run.’

The Great North Run, which kicks off on Sunday, 11th September, will be broadcast on BBC One and is expected to have over 56,000 participants.

Gary Murphy, Arnold Clark Ford Franchise Manager, commented on the sponsorship:

‘We’re thrilled to be official vehicle suppliers to The Great Run Company. As a national company it’s always been important to Arnold Clark to promote sport in our local communities.

‘In this, our third year of running our sports kit giveaway, ‘Gear Up For Sport’, it feels very fitting that we can show our support to this epic event.’

The Great Run Company has many exciting events lined up for the year ahead, for both adults and children. More information can be found on their website.

Arnold Clark recently donated a Fiat 500 Pop to Children in Need as part of their Bank of Scotland fundraiser raffle. The competition was open to all 70,000 Bank of Scotland employees across the Group and ran during summer. Tickets cost £5 and CiN had a fundraising target of £100,000.

The lucky winner was Manjula Sood from Hounslow who kindly gave the car to her dad Yogender. She said,

‘I’m delighted with the new Fiat 500. It’s a fantastic prize to win and I’m pleased the money raised has gone to an incredibly worthy cause.’

Since Children in Need began in 1980 it has raised over £600 million for disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. The charity has a yearly appeal in November, where it takes over the BBC for an evening of entertainment, celebrities and fun to help raise money.

On the night, one-off specials of some of the nation’s favourite programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and Doctor Who are screened. An official single is also released and in recent years they’ve had the talented Jess Glynne, Ellie Goulding and Gareth Malone’s All Star Choir perform.

Charity Manager Rachael McCaffrey said, ‘We’re delighted Arnold Clark could support our competition with a fantastic prize which helped us raise thousands of pounds that will make a huge difference to children’s lives throughout the UK.’

There are a range of driving offences for which a driver can incur penalty points on their licence record, a monetary fine, or in many cases both.

Penalty points or endorsements on a driving licence are given when a driving offence has been committed that is listed in Part 3 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 (RTOA).

Penalty points

The minimum number of points given at any one time is two and the maximum is 11. Points or endorsements carry an offence code that stays on your driving record along with the penalty points for four or 11 years depending on the conviction.

Endorsements can stay on your driving licence for four or 11 years depending on the offence. And they are set on a scale from one to 11, the more serious the offence, the more points you are given. Driving offences are recognised by codes, and the list of these codes is extensive; they’re available on the government website.

Drivers can be disqualified if they receive 12 or more points on their licence within a three-year period, unless they are a new driver. New drivers will have their licence revoked if they receive six or more points within two years of passing their test.

New drivers

If a new driver has their licence revoked for receiving six or more points within the first two years of driving then they are required to apply for a new provisional licence, pass the theory test and practical test in order to regain their full driving licence. This rule was introduced in the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act 1995 and states that if needed the court can order the driver to take an extended driving test before their licence will be returned to them.

The endorsement can stay on your driving record from the date the offence took place or the date the driver was convicted, depending on the type of offence.

How long do points stay on my licence?

Some offences such as reckless/dangerous driving (codes DD40, DD60 and DD80) or those that result in disqualification from driving will remain on your licence for four years from the date of conviction.

Other endorsements will remain on your driving record for four years from the date of the offence.

11-year offences will stay on a driving record for 11 years from the date of conviction.

Once the endorsement is expired it will automatically be removed from your driving record. Thanks to the introduction of digital driving records you no longer need to fill out the paperwork associated with endorsement removal (previously a D1 form).

What is a speed awareness course?

Drivers who are guilty of a speeding offence may be offered the chance to attend a speed awareness course as an alternative to penalty points and fines. The course is intended to alter the attitude of speeding drivers through highlighting the potential consequences of their actions. Courses are only offered to those who meet the criteria, who are only marginally above the speed limit and who have not been convicted of a speeding offence in the last three years.

Your driving record

Insurance companies and your employer are able to find out if you have a driving endorsement on your record with your permission. You can check your licence with the view driving licence service on the government website. This was introduced following the abolishment of the paper counterpart. If you are required to drive as part of your job then you will be asked to generate a check code so your potential employer can view your driving record online.

What is a totting up ban?

A totting up ban (code TT99) is when a driver receives 12 or more points on their licence through a number of offences that have been culminated over a three-year period. The recommended ban period is six months, although courts act with discretion.

Crucially, if culminated points expire before the court date, the driver is still liable to a ban, as the court will take the date the offence took place into account and not the court date.

Can I avoid a totting up ban?

By driving safely and adhering to the rules of the road you can avoid gaining endorsements and therefore a totting up ban. Once the ban has been served the points on the licence are taken off.

Driving fines

Fines can be imposed on a driver committing an offence as a fixed penalty notice, that means by the police at the time of the offence or they can be imposed by a court. The minimum fine imposed at the time of the offence is £100 there is no maximum and fines can be imposed for a number of driving and cycling offences.

Courts have the power to impose unlimited fines for serious driving offences such as careless and inconsiderate driving and driving while disqualified among many other offences.

What’s the difference between a revoked licence and a ban?

A revoked licence is taken away and the driver must resit a test, an extended version if needed. When the ban is imposed your licence will be sent to the DVLA when the ban expires the driver’s licence will be returned to them by the DVLA. If the ban was for more than 56 days the licence will be automatically revoked.