Added: 29th April 2008
We show here a recovery of a vehicle from the A3 that had been struck by a passing coach while parked as far off the carriageway as possible following a breakdown. Fortunately the driver had heeded advice to wait well away from the vehicle for help to arrive and therefore escaped serious injury.

It illustrates that it is no longer sensible for a motorist to attempt even the simplest of repairs on major roads and to always call a breakdown company who will normally arrive on the scene of an incident within 30 minutes. Regular servicing of a car will generally mean arriving at your destination without an unexpected stop.


Added: 14th April 2008
At the beginning of April snow covers the compound area at JD Motors in Alton and our 4*4 is needed many times that day to give a helping tow to stranded motorists across the region while our accident unit is kept very busy for the more serious accidents that occurred that day.

The snow and icy conditions were not to last and by the following day more traditional April weather conditions prevailed. However by then our under cover storage areas housed quite a collection of accident damage cars.

Click on the adjacent picture to see more wintry scenes.


Added: 10th March 2008
Six months after moving into Rowan Park and converting empty industrial units into car servicing bays, our new facilities have been opened staffed by experienced mechanics drawn from our Rushmoor garage.

If you would like to book your vehicle into these brand new facilities either:

• call us on 01420 544644
• use the online booking service
• or simply drop by   [Location Map]

and we'll book you in to suit your busy schedule.

Please see our Car Servicing page for more information.


Added: 7th March 2008
Turbo Despatch comes to town! Our Alton premises can now receive incident information over a radio data link from motoring organisations. This facility is provided by Transcomm who are the UK's leading wireless data provider giving 99.5% service availability for secure, reliable business critical communications so essential for the breakdown recovery industry.

The data received populates our bespoke software from MTS and displays all the relevant information on our computer screens to ensure that the appropriate breakdown vehicles are quickly despatched to serve the stranded motorist's needs.

JD Motors investment in technology is to ensure that when we are needed, we can be contacted without difficulty. We are committed to the highest standards of service and customer satisfaction. The radio data network is the first link in that relationship to our highly professional team.


Added: 4th March 2008
Our accounts department, and their extensive records, have moved over to more suitable accommodation at our Alton premises. The rather cramped conditions of Service Reception at Rushmoor can now be remodelled to improve customer facilities.

All creditors to JD Motors should now send their invoices to:
1 Rowan Industrial Estate, Mill Lane, Alton, Hants, GU34 2NQ.

The telephone number to contact the accounts department is now: 01420 544644 and their email address is accounts@jd-motors.co.uk.


Added: 15th November 2007
Record numbers of uninsured vehicles are being seized and crushed thanks to automatic number plate recognition [ANPR] technology. The use of ANPR has led to more than 100,000 uninsured vehicles in the UK being seized this year by the police in roadside checks, compared to 78,000 during 2006. Out of the vehicles seized this year some 45,000 have been crushed, according to figures from the Association of British Insurers [ABI].

Nick Starling, director of General Insurance and Health at the ABI, said uninsured drivers are a menace, often drive unroadworthy vehicles and the cost of compensating their victims adds an extra £30 per year to premiums paid by law-abiding motorists.

As contractors to the Police, JD Motors stores every increasing numbers of seized vehicles in their secure compound at Alton while their fate is decided. Many of these vehicles will ultimately be collected by a transporter for delivery to the crushing plant.


Added: 25th October 2007
Details of a recovery incident by JD Motors were featured in a recent edition of Professional Recovery Magazine. This was a very challenging job as the vehicle had barrel rolled to its final position some 120ft from the road and could only be recovered from the road.

Click on the adjacent icon to see this story.
The magazine's web site is at www.onlinerecovery.co.uk.


Added: 19th October 2007
Pictures of an off road recovery of an MX5 by the A31 at Froyle have been added.
Click on the adjacent icon to view the pictures.


Added: 18th October 2007
Exterior lighting and a feature rich CCTV system has been installed to ensure the well being of visitors to our Alton garage and to enable the smooth running of the business.

The newly opened service bays are now part of the surveillance system and images can be seen in the customer waiting room. You can now watch activity on your car without the dangers of a garage environment.

Our 24 hour roadside rescue control room staff monitors CCTV output and alerts the Police of any suspicious activity.


Added: 15th October 2007
Petrol wrecks a diesel engine lubrication process, and is particularly damaging to its costly, high-pressure pump, fuel injection system and filters. So if you know you've made the classic mistake of filling up with petrol, avoid inserting the ignition key and ask the forecourt staff for help. They will arrange to move your vehicle away from the fuel pump and call your breakdown service or JD Motors if you don't belong to one.

If you have already started the engine and driven off, then you may get half a mile or so down the road before your car gives up the ghost on you, so you will need to call your breakdown service or JD Motors yourself.

It won't be possible to drain the fuel on the spot, as this has to be done under controlled conditions in a garage, so the recovery vehicle will transport your car and its passengers to a destination of choice or to JD Motors where they will drain the tank, clean the hoses and purge the fuel from the pumps. It will be recommended that the filter is replaced at the earliest opportunity and that the fuel tank is filled to capacity immediately.

JD Motors are usually able to carry out a simply "drain out" the same day and the task will often take just over the hour. The contaminated fuel is stored for later disposal in line with environmental regulations.


Added: 20th September 2007
A few more picture galleries of recent recovery activities have been added to this site.


Added: 10th September 2007
JD Motors are no longer by the side of the railway line close to Alton Railway Station, but have moved their operations a short distance away into new premises that are in Mill Lane, Alton. The new premises are currently being adapted to suit the Company's needs with the creation of vehicle servicing and testing facilities well under way.

This is the first stage of a removal programme that will eventually see our Accounts Department and the 24 Hour Control Centre relocated into these new premises. Equipment for the servicing bays is on order and these should be installed ready for business during March 2008, staffed by qualified technicians and mechanics drawn from our Rushmoor Garage. This will mean job opportunities for staff to join the Company.

In conjunction with this physical move our virtual presence on the Internet has been revamped, with new features on our web site that includes the ability to book a service at either Alton or Rushmoor Garages; to apply for a job with us and even to give your feedback on any aspect of the Company's services which is automatically published for all to see!

That's all the news from JD Motors for now, but if you are still hungry for more news, then visit the BBC web site for news stories that have been gathered from around the world.

The panel to the right provides direct hyperlinks to the headlines of the day, displayed in a separate window, but don't forget to return here when you have finished!

But if you are about to travel, then listen to traffic issues of the day on your computer by clicking on the adjacent icon.

Brought to you by the Highways Agency and Transport for London, Traffic Radio broadcasts continuous live traffic updates 24 hours a day online and on DAB Digital Radio to provide information on:
   • Emergency incidents  • Road Works
   • Traffic conditions around your region