Brits Admit To Lacking Confidence To Do Basic Car Maintenance
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Many motorists lack confidence to perform basic car maintenance tasks, such as checking tyre pressures or replacing a windscreen blade, according to new research from The Green Insurer, which is focused on helping drivers reduce carbon emissions and drive in a more environmentally friendly way, shows.
Its study found one in five (19%) motorists had no idea how to change a tyre and a further 29% said they were “not very confident” about having to do so. Other basic car maintenance tasks where motorists admitted to having no idea or feeling not very confident include replacing a windscreen wiper blade on their car (37%); checking the oil level (16%); checking tyre pressure (15%) and replenishing screen wash (10%).
In the event of a warning light or symbol showing up on their car dashboard, a third (36%) of motorists say that the first step they would take is to refer to the car manual or phone the manufacturer, this is followed by 22% of owners who say they will first search for help on the Internet, and 20% whose first action is to call on help from a friend or family member. Four per cent of respondents admit to either ignoring any warning lights unless they were affecting their car’s performance or waiting until their next service was due. This figure rises to 10% in the younger 18 – 24 year old age group.
However one in six drivers (18%) say their first port of call is to book their car into the garage. The reliance on professional mechanics for even simple maintenance has resulted in a quarter (24%) of all motorists saying that their limited knowledge in basic car maintenance has resulted in them having taken their car into a garage for an issue that they later found out could have been fairly easily fixed by themselves or someone else at home.
"Our findings reveal that many motorists have a significant gap in practical knowledge, such as checking their oil level or tyre pressures, which could leave them unprepared in emergency situations. The survey also found some regret amongst car owners who had relied on mechanics to perform a simple maintenance task that could have been resolved by themselves but instead will have resulted in needless additional expense.
“It is reassuring to see that very few of our respondents say they ignore any dashboard warning lights as a failure to address small maintenance issues, such as driving with insufficient oil can lead to significant damage to a car’s engine. Other maintenance tasks such as checking tyre pressure are also important as low pressure can affect braking and reduce fuel efficiency.
Paul Baxter, CEO, The Green Insurer
The Green Insurer has launched car insurance policies that customers can buy direct from its website at www.thegreeninsurer.com and through leading price comparison websites. A customer’s Green Driving Score will be used to calculate their renewal premium and to offer discounts when they renew. Policies are linked to a mobile app, which monitors how customers drive.
Every mile driven by customers will be offset using a range of carbon offset projects which are assessed for their carbon and environmental effectiveness as well as the social impact on the people and communities where they are based.
All customer enquiries to The Green Insurer will be dealt with by humans based in the UK rather than chatbots or overseas call centres.
Up to 70 companies have partnered with The Green Insurer to offer rewards and discounts including ASDA, Tesco, Sainsbury’s Waitrose, Iceland and Morrisons plus retailers Clarks, Harvey Nichols, Halfords, Habitat and Waterstone’s as well as restaurant chains Zizzi, Ask Italian and Café Rouge. On a weekly supermarket shop of £200 a 6% discount would be worth more than £600 a year.
Independent and green offers include eco laundry capsules, eco clothing, refillable natural deodorant, sustainable sunglasses from Coral Eyewear and National Trust membership. The company plans to expand the number of rewards partners and is contacting companies who can also sign up on its website. It will also add other insurance partners in the future and potentially expand the types of policies it offers.