If this is you, or you know someone who fits the bill, please get in touch with us. We are working on a project which looks at why this behaviour change happens in so many of us, and what the cost could be. As part of this, we would like to film you behind the wheel and we will offer tips and advice for how you can control this anger and save yourself unnecessary stress and costs – in both insurance and car repairs.

And as a thank you, we’ll give you a complimentary Advanced Driving Course with the Institute for Advanced Motoring (IAM) – plus a cash reward for your time.

Please do get in touch if you’d like to get involved!

While this provides us with ample opportunity to take in plenty of Diamond Jubilee and Olympics activity, we may also want to take the chance to visit less travelled parts of the UK. It’s all too easy to assume that our road network consists of motorways and dual carriageways full of those using the tarmac as a means to an end. What we tend to forget is that many of our roads give us access to beautiful countryside and scenic spots, so why not hop in the family car this summer and unwind on our twisting country lanes? Below you’ll find a couple of route suggestions, often no more than a few hours from major UK cities, which could give your summer ‘staycation’ just the boost it needs.

The Yorkshire Dales are known for their incredible landscape – so much so that it’s often difficult to choose where to begin! To maximise viewing potential the Skipton area, deep amongst the heather moors, is a perfect point to aim for. From there, find the B625 and take a 10 mile drive towards the aptly named Grassington. If you can avoid the culinary overtures of The Fountaine Inn there are countless walking routes that offer breathtaking views of beauty spots such as Hebden and the Grimwith Reservoir. When you’ve fully explored this region, head east along the A59, over the River Ure, towards the Viking city of York, where attractions range from the Minster to the renowned city walls. From here, use the A64, Mains Lane and The Stray to journey towards Castle Howard, a towering 18th-century residence set within 1,000 acres of countryside and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

A more southerly suggestion is to explore the Cotswolds, a region famous for breathtaking beauty. Make your way to Cirencester, an elegant town worth exploring by foot, and then take the A417 towards Fairford. The A429 provides a picturesque gateway through Northleach and Bourton-on-the-Water to market town Stow-on-the-Wold. The town hall and church are architecture to behold before you journey to the equally appealing Chipping Norton (north on the A429 once more before heading east along the A44). From here, head south along the A361, where you’ll come to Shipton-under-Wychwood, where Wychwood Wild Garden offers 12.5 acres of woodland to round off your day.

These are just a flavour of what the UK roads have to offer and we’re keen to hear your experiences and driving holiday tips. What places have you driven through that have stood out and where would you recommend fellow drivers venture to for the perfect motoring holiday? What’s more, we’re keen to hear suggestions as to what makes a perfect road trip – perhaps a coastal drive is the best way to relax, or driving through a woodland area has helped you to de-stress?

Be sure to let us know what has worked for you, and if you are staying put this summer don’t forget that our roads aren’t just there for the daily commute. They might just be avenues for the perfect summer holiday.

So what happened? Well, not much. Things never really took off, if you’ll excuse the pun. But in the last few years we’ve been seeing inventors coming up with some new options. Here are a few of our favourites.

Moller Skycar

Technically, it isn’t really a car – the Moller Skycar is a ‘personal aircraft’. That’s because you can’t drive it on the road, you can only fly it. But when it looks this stunning, we’re not going to quibble. The Skycar hasn’t been tested in free flight yet, but if this is what the future looks like you can sign us up now.

Malloy hover-bike

Half high-performance motorbike, half hairdryer: the Malloy hover-bike works, but its inventors haven’t dared use it without staying tied firmly to the ground. We can’t help but dream of zipping between skyscrapers, pretending we’re in Blade Runner.

Terrafugia Transition

Back to reality (a bit) with what may be the first viable flying car. Well, technically the Transition is a ‘roadable light sport aircraft’, which means a plane you can drive on the road. But – if you live in the States, have a pilot’s licence and a spare $250,000, it’s time to get your order in.

And now time for the bad news. Sorry, but we don’t cover flying cars at Quote me happy. Call us old-fashioned, but we’d really prefer it if you could keep all your wheels on the ground!

Would you be one of those taking to the sky or would you rather keep it on the tarmac?

Throw into the mix the spectacular festivals Brits put on year after year (think T in the Park, V, Reading and Leeds), along with everything from tennis at Wimbledon to comedy in Edinburgh and you might well think of making this year’s vacation a ‘staycation’.

Today marks exactly 100 days until the Opening Ceremony of London 2012 and so what better time to plan how to make the most of this spectacular summer?

First up: the Jubilee. It’s not every year that the monarch celebrates 60 years on the throne and we cannot let the opportunity pass by without some old-fashioned merrymaking! After last year’s Royal Wedding, we’re well versed in how to toast such occasions, so what would you do differently this year?

Is the Street Party for you? Or do you plan on rounding up the neighbours and using the opportunity to foster community spirit? Or will you be lining the Thames for the much anticipated Pageant, as boats of all shapes and sizes sail by in tribute to Her Majesty? We’d love to hear your plans.

As for the Olympics, do you have tickets to any of the events or will you be watching from the comfort of your own home? Here in the office the team can’t wait for the diving and gymnastics – two Olympic classics!

Do share your event plans and any hints you have to avoid the crowds. Will you be using public transport for the Games or combining the train with the car?

Perhaps the Games aren’t for you and you’re just looking forward to jumping in the car and exploring the UK this summer. Well fear not, Visit England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have brought together a fantastic selection of deals and discounts all devised to save you money without compromising the fun factor. www.great2012offers.com gives you money off hotel stays, 2-for-1 offers at tons of attractions and discounts on rail travel, coach journeys and car hire. What takes your fancy?

Share with us your thoughts on what is set to be a memorable summer – and remember, get planning, the fun starts soon!

If you’re a Quotemehappy.com customer & would like to be in the prize draw to win 1 years RAC breakdown cover – all you have to do is log in to Twitter – and tweet

‘I’m a #quotemehappycustomer and I’m happy’ 

The winner will be chosen at the end of the week.

Luckily, the rest of us mere mortals can console ourselves by visiting the Heritage Motor Centre in Warwickshire over the next few months. They’re hosting an intriguing new exhibition entitled Motoring Record Breakers (until 2 September 2012).

Just two hours’ drive from London, Manchester and Bristol, this award-winning museum is worth a visit for anyone with a passion for cars. It celebrates the proud heritage and culture of British motoring with an interactive journey encompassing social history, design, fashion as well as engineering.

“Our Motoring Record Breakers exhibition is an exciting collection of amazing vehicles which we are thrilled to be exhibiting,” says Tim Bryan, Head of Collections at the Heritage Motor Centre. “Featuring an eclectic mix of vehicles – some of the giants, and minnows, of motoring history, the exhibition will bring them to life with both adult and child-friendly interpretation. This exhibition really is a must for everyone and not just car fans!”

Best of breed

The exhibition claims to offer the best of home-grown motoring record breakers including some of the slowest, smallest, most economical and wacky cars every produced. But, of course, all eyes will be on the most powerful models. We’re particularly looking forward to seeing the iconic Sunbeam 1000hp, the first car ever to set a land speed record of over 200mph – back in 1927.

The Sunbeam (or ‘the slug’ as it was nicknamed) was the first non-American car to run on Daytona Beach for a land speed record attempt. On 29 March 1927, the legendary Henry Segrave reached a new land speed record of 203.79mph. Built by the Sunbeam Car Company of Wolverhampton, this amazing vehicle was powered by two aircraft engines.

This exhibition (and the news from Lotus) reminds us to be proud of the engineering vision and talent we’ve always had here in Britain. We’re feeling very patriotic all of a sudden!

What do you think? Are you planning to visit the Heritage Motor Centre exhibition? And what’s your shout for the best British car every made?

So this might depend on your age (and let’s not go there!) but what are your all-time favourite film-star cars?

Of course, it goes without saying that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was an absolute classic for any kid with a love of cars, especially flying ones – back in 1968.

One of our other retro favourites is the white VW Beetle used in Disney’s Herbie films. It captured the hearts of 1970s cinema-goers (and, more recently, in Herbie Reloaded). Is there any car with a bigger celluloid personality than the original ‘love bug’? We doubt it.

Of course, you could easily argue that another little car with a big personality was the iconic Mini Cooper in The Italian Job (the classic 1969 version). The fact that this plucky British motor was filmed around Turin with choreographic panache rendered it forever irresistible. And we don’t even need to repeat that famous Michael Caine line!

Talking of cool Sixties stuff, the 1968 Ford Mustang in Bullitt fits the bill perfectly. Obviously any vehicle driven by Steve McQueen was instantly cool. But the Highland Green Mustang GT 390 didn’t need much help during those scenes through San Francisco’s bumpy streets.

To the Batmobile…

James Bond’s legacy of famous cars and groovy gadgets can be traced to the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 007 driven in Goldfinger and Thunderball. Its long list of tricks included machine guns, an ejector seat and a smoke screen. One of the few Astons used in those movies sold a few years ago. Price tag? Around £3 million. Another classic Bond car was the 1976 Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me. Who could forget the scene when it transforms into a submarine and then drives up onto the beach?

A decade later, Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) revved up the DeLorean DMC-12 to 88mph and shot back to 1955 in Back to the Future. The car’s unique, retro-futuristic design earned it a cult following which still exists today.

This year, look out for the modern-day Batmobile – the Tumbler. It may have been destroyed in the previous Batman movie, The Dark Knight, but it’s been spotted on the set of the third instalment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman series, The Dark Knight Rises.

Like Bond cars, Batmobiles have transcended generations – and this tough, militaristic model is the most visually and technically significant Batmobile since the 1960s version. And it’s a real vehicle, not a computer-animated fantasy. So we’ll be drooling over it in cinemas this summer – and imagining we’re driving it on the journey home (we all do that, don’t we?)

We want your views: What’s the ultimate film-star car?

At previous Olympics, transport has been a big deal. Atlanta 1996 is notorious as the games where some athletes actually missed their events when bus drivers got lost or stuck in traffic (surely the worst possible way to miss out on potential Olympic glory?). So Sydney 2000 used ‘games lanes’ to guarantee reliable access on key roads for athletes, officials, media and sponsors, followed by Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008).

Life in the fast lane

At London 2012, the Olympic Route Network (ORN) will cover 170 miles of UK roads, as well as 109 miles in London.
Games lanes will operate along a third of the capital’s ORN. They’ll be mostly used by 55,000 officials and VIPs each day in 1500 coaches and 4000 BMWs (the chosen car for VIPs) on the busiest section of the network: around Heathrow and Wembley Stadium, through central London, and eastwards to the Olympic Park at Stratford.

Keep calm (and carry on)

Despite an extra three million journeys expected in London on the busiest days of the games, organisers say 70% of roads in Greater London will see no impact.

Transport for London (TfL) is already on the case and aims to reduce bottlenecks by asking local businesses to stagger working hours, plan delivery times, and promote home-working. Meanwhile, extra buses, trains and Tube services will be laid on to cater for the extra demand.

Overall, TfL has spent £6.5bn on an impressive scheme to extend lines and upgrade London’s traffic network ahead of the games, while a state-of-the-art transport nerve centre is designed to keep the capital moving. The real-time London 2012 congestion hotspot maps on TfL’s website will help all of us move smoothly round capital during July and August.

So as we look ahead to an amazing Olympic summer, it should hopefully be more of a sprint than a marathon for us drivers…

What do you think? What are you most looking forward to during the Olympics?

Yes, today’s Saint Valentine’s Day. The day we’re supposed to be honouring the early Christian martyr Saint Valentine. February 14 first became associated with romantic love and handwritten cards (‘Valentines’) during the Middle Ages. Since then, it’s been hearts and flowers and cuddly teddy bears all the way.

Keys to their heart

But this got us thinking about Valentine’s presents. What’s the most you’d splash out on your beloved? How about buying them a car? Yes, a real car. Because there seems to be a bit of a trend among overpaid celebrities to buy their nearest and dearest a flash motor to symbolise their undying love…

Beyonce famously treated hubbie Jay-Z to a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport (reportedly costing a cool $2 million) for his 41^st birthday. It wasn’t a spontaneous act, though – she’d preordered the Bugatti (0-60 in 2.5 seconds, the world’s fastest road car) a year in advance.

Meanwhile, Nick Cannon bought wife Mariah Carey a Porsche Cayenne for her 40^th. But not just any Cayenne: it was painted in unique ‘Mariah Carey Pink’ with 22-inch pink wheels and a pink cabin.

For pure romance, it’s hard to beat Chris Evans proposing to Billie Piper by giving her a Ferrari. The morning after their first date in December 2000, Evans handed her the keys to a silver Ferrari 550 Maranello (worth £105,000) filled with red roses and then proposed. She said yes – even though she couldn’t drive.

And last year, Kelly Brook’s boyfriend Thom Evans chose to say it, not with flowers, but with a brand new Mercedes CL500 coupe. Kelly was delighted with the £92,000 Merc. Who wouldn’t be?

Total devotion?

Back in the real world… Even if you can afford the grand gesture of buying a car for that someone special, it’s not as easy as it looks. Cars are a very individual choice – the wrong colour or model might spoil the big moment. And the paperwork involved in buying one for another person can be a right nightmare.

Perhaps you should go back to that tried and tested Valentine’s gift – jewellery. In fact, Maserati might just have the perfect idea for any car fanatic in your life: three jewellery collections created by Italian jeweller Damiani called Icon, Elegance and Pure. Each set includes a key ring, cufflinks and a necklace, all with the Maserati logo as their centrepiece. The cheapest, the Elegance silver necklace, costs £170.15 (so a bit less than the cars).

“These three new collections perfectly combine style and technology – the core values of our brand,” boasts the Maserati press release.

Mind you, it seems some people are more passionate about their cars than their partners. A survey by Turtle Wax last year found that one in ten male drivers admitted to loving their car more than their partner. Who said love was dead?

What do you think? Would you ever buy your partner a car as a gift – and what are the best and worst Valentine’s presents you’ve ever received?

Our managing director Marco Distefano said: “We’ve been building up our business since launch with a gradual roll out across the big four price comparison sites.  With this distribution now firmly established, we’re well placed to drive the business forward during 2012. We know that price, quality cover and brand trust are the key purchase drivers in this sector – and Quotemehappy.com has been designed to deliver on all of those fronts.”