With hosepipe bans in place across large parts of the country this summer, many drivers have likely ditched the bucket and sponge for an alternative method.

However, experts have now warned that washing cars in this particular way could be wrecking them. The advice has also sparked a major safety concern.

Drivers using automatic car washes could be at risk of damaging their tyres, with harsh wheel cleaners and stiff brushes adding further friction to rubber already dried out by a long summer of hot weather.

The metal tracks and conveyor belts used in the automatic washes pose a risk by scratching against the sidewalls, with each visit stripping a little more of the tyre's protection.

Drivers are urged to be careful when checking their tyres for damage this summer, as products often designed to make a tyre look healthy can sometimes mask small cracks, which can be an early warning sign of the rubber deteriorating. 

Even minor sidewall damage can increase the risk of a puncture or blowout, which could leave drivers stranded and in need of roadside assistance. Small stones and debris, often kicked up into the tyres during an automatic wash, can cause a slow puncture that may go unnoticed for some time.

Automatic car washes may seem like a convenient fix to a car covered in dust from a hot and dry summer, but with average tyre replacement costs ranging from £45 to £250, drivers could face a large repair bill if tyres go unchecked.

To check, road users should gently run their hand over the surface of their tyres after using an automatic car wash to check for signs their tyre is starting to lose protection. A dry, brittle or unusually rough surface could indicate damage and drivers should consider seeking advice from a qualified mechanic.

This summer car washing method could be wrecking your vehicle

Washing your car like this could damage your vehicle

It takes less than a second. You pull up, park, and swing your car door open without a second thought. But if there's a motorcyclist or cyclist passing at that exact moment, that split-second habit could end in a serious accident and a fine.

This is the dangerous habit known as "car dooring."

Car dooring happens when a driver or passenger opens a car door into the path of an oncoming cyclist or motorcyclist, without checking first. It might seem like a minor lapse in concentration, but the consequences can be severe.

Motorcyclists are especially vulnerable in slow-moving or stationary traffic, where they're legally permitted to filter between lanes. That means a door swinging open unexpectedly from a parked or queuing car can catch them with almost no time to react.

Under Regulation 105 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, it is an offence to open a car door and cause injury or danger to another person. Breaking this rule can land you with a fine up to £1,000.

It isn't just the driver who needs to be careful. If a passenger opens a door and causes a collision, the rider can still make a claim against the driver's insurance, since the person in charge of the vehicle can be held liable for their passengers' actions. 

This isn't a rare, one-off hazard either. A survey from 

 found 28% of motorcyclists have experienced a parked car door being opened suddenly in their path.

The good news is that avoiding this mistake requires just a small change in habit. Instead of opening your car door with the hand nearest to it, use your opposite hand. This forces your body to twist, which turns your head and shoulders towards the wing mirror and blind spot, exactly where an approaching cyclist or motorcyclist would be. It's a tiny adjustment, but it means you're much more likely to spot something before it's too late.

It's a small habit that could protect a motorcyclist's life and save you from a fine, penalty points, or worse.

Everyday driving mistake that could cost you thousands

Come with us on a car-themed pub crawl, as we recreate your favourite drinking spots in the style of some of the world's top brands. From British icons to Scandinavian cool, we’ve imagined what pubs would look like if some of the world’s biggest manufacturers swapped the showroom for the bar. The only question left to answer is: how much do they charge for a pint?

What would pubs look like made by iconic car manufacturers? 

How well do you know your cars? Find out with our fun and free car brake light quiz. The rules are simple. All you need to do is look at the cropped image of the car brake light and guess which car it is from the four available options. Good luck!

Quiz: Can you guess the car from the brake light?

Quiz: Guess the car from the brake light

Rev your engines and buckle up; this quiz is all about the cars that stole the show on the big screen. From sleek spy gadgets to time-travelling turbos, TV and film have given us some of the most iconic vehicles in pop culture history. Think you know your Ecto-1 from your Mystery Machine? Test your knowledge with these 12 questions and find out just how well you know your movie motors.

Famous cars in TV and film: How many can you get?

Cars in TV and film quiz

Gritters are a familiar sight in January. In the middle of a record-breaking June heatwave, less so – but if you spot one on your commute this week, don't be confused. There's a very good reason they're out. 

The AA has warned that road surfaces can soften and become sticky under extreme heat, with heavy traffic capable of causing them to rut in some places.  

In response, some councils have already begun deploying gritters, not to spread salt, but crushed stone, to protect the tarmac and maintain grip for drivers. 

Asphalt surfaces can begin to melt when road surface temperatures hit 50°C. This threshold can be reached even when air temperatures are much lower, as road surfaces absorb and retain heat during the day. 

With forecasters warning that temperatures could hit 35°C in London and above 30°C across most of southern England this week, road surfaces in the most exposed areas could reach these temperatures.  

The crushed stone spread by gritters creates a protective layer that helps prevent surface damage while also providing extra grip for vehicles travelling over softened tarmac. 

It's not just the roads that drivers need to think about this week. The RAC has urged drivers whose vehicles don't have effective air conditioning to seriously consider postponing any non-essential journeys, warning there could be a record number of breakdowns. 

If you do need to drive, keep your speed down on roads that look or feel uneven, give extra space to vehicles ahead, and check your tyres – heat accelerates pressure build-up and a tyre blowout at speed is far more likely in extreme temperatures. 

Bizarre reason you might see gritters during UK heatwave 

Bizarre reason you might see gritters this week 

Later this year passengers in the UK could be booking rides in cars with no one behind the wheel and the government is pushing ahead fast. 

In May, applications opened for operators to run self-driving taxi and bus-style services across Great Britain as part of a new pilot scheme.  

Companies including Uber and Waymo, which already completes over 500,000 autonomous rides every week across eleven US cities, have signalled their intention to bring services to UK roads this year, with London expected to be the first city to see them in action. 

Safety is at the centre of the rollout. Operators must pass strict government approval checks before any passenger sets foot in a self-driving vehicle, including assessments to ensure the technology is protected against cyber threats.  

The self-driving technology could significantly improve road safety, with human error currently contributing to 88% of collisions on UK roads. 

The bar for safety is being set deliberately high. Self-driving vehicles will need to demonstrate a higher safety standard than the average human driver before they can be approved for everyday use.  

Members of the public, road safety groups and accessibility organisations are all being invited to have their say, with a consultation open until 9 September 2026. 

Beyond safety, the government believes the technology could open up independent travel for older and disabled people who currently struggle to access transport and estimates the sector could be worth £3.7 billion annually in Britain by 2040, supporting thousands of skilled jobs in the process.

Driverless cars are almost here – are you ready? 

New analysis has revealed that potholes are responsible for up to 1.7 million MOT failures every year – a figure that will come as little surprise to anyone who regularly navigates Britain's crumbling roads. 

Using DVSA data, The Sun analysed 2.5 million MOT failure points typically associated with pothole damage across 1.74 million cars. 

Over 1.1 million suspension arms and ball joints were found to be damaged, 882,000 springs had snapped, and 450,000 shock absorbers were ruined.  

Two-thirds of all these failures were concentrated in the front wheels – the first point of contact when a car drops into a ditch.  

However, not all failures will have been caused solely by potholes. Natural wear and tear may have also played a role in the MOT failure. 

Birmingham topped the list of pothole damage hotspots, with 34,758 cars failing their MOT with faults commonly linked to road surface damage. Sheffield came second with 33,896 failures, followed by Nottingham, Glasgow and Cardiff. 

Until the roads improve, the best defence is knowing how to drive around the problem. 

Alastair Shephard

Content Writer