10 March 2011
We all know women don’t relish the car service; but according to a recent survey, they’re putting their lives and those of their passenger’s at risk by their complacency.
A recent poll commission by UK company Sainsbury’s Car Insurance showed more than a quarter of women make no safety checks on their car at all, compared with 16% of men, leaving them at risk of driving an illegal or worse – unsafe – vehicle.
So why check? Not only is it important to keep your car in tip-top shape to save you money in the everyday running of your vehicle (e.g. driving with incorrectly inflated tyres can worsen fuel consumption) and in its longer-term value; but car maintenance checks can be a matter of life or death.
Of particular concern are tyres; it’s a legal requirement to have at least 1.6 mm tread on all 4 tyres, yet just fewer than half of all drivers check their tyres each month with less than 40% not checking out their tyres at all.
Oil checks were another cause for concern – running out of oil can of course have serious consequences for a car’s engine, yet again only around half of female drivers check their car oil monthly.
Young drivers are the worst offenders – nearly one in 3 drivers aged between 18 and 24 doesn’t bother checking their car each month, compared with just 15% of drivers aged over 65.
Head of Sainsbury's Car Insurance Ben Tyte said: "Every day, we make considerations that will keep ourselves and our family healthy and safe, and we should apply the same train of thought to ensuring our cars are safe and roadworthy. It's simple, straightforward and requires just a few minutes to carry out basic checks, and doing so will give you peace of mind that your car is in a good condition and safe to be on the road”.