News Published on : 19-Apr-2022 12:36:46

New research from breakdown provider Green Flag reveals one in six drivers (15 per cent or 6.2 million) are not confident in performing basic vehicle maintenance despite 9.4 million drivers finding themselves in a breakdown situation over the past five years. Following a breakdown over half (56 per cent) of motorists called a roadside assistance company to fix the problem while one in six (17 per cent) relied on another person they were with to resolve the issue and one in eight (12 per cent) called a friend or family member to help. Only 14 per cent were able to fix the problem themselves. Only half of drivers (53 per cent) would feel confident doing basic tasks like refilling the oil levels in their car or checking tyre tread depth (50 per cent). Just one in eight (13 per cent) would be able to tell if there was a problem with the anti-lock braking system an important safety element when driving and usually indicated by a warning light. Despite this lack of knowledge one in four drivers (24 per cent) don t have breakdown cover in place leaving them at risk when their cars let them down. Car batteries are the most common cause for breakdowns accounting for 35 per cent of Green Flag callouts. But worryingly just one in three drivers (33 per cent) feel confident in checking their car battery. One in six (17 per cent) of the callouts Green Flag supports are for tyre or wheel related issues which is not surprising given only 37 per cent of drivers know how to change a tyre. Young people (aged 18-34) leave themselves most at risk. Only 59 per cent have breakdown cover in place with the group also lacking knowledge compared to those aged over 35. When asked how confident they d be in carrying out 19 common car maintenance tasks young drivers were 100 per cent less confident of completing them than those aged over 55.