How well do you maintain your car? Take the quiz
Do you know how to check your tyre pressures? Or what to do if a dashboard warning light comes on?
A new quiz tests whether you’re on top of your car maintenance and if you’d know what steps to take if something went wrong with your vehicle.
Drivers avoiding routine checks
The test was created by car maintenance firm Fixter after a survey found that nearly a quarter of drivers feel ‘uncomfortable’ carrying out routine safety checks on their car.
While most people know how to perform simple tasks like checking tyre pressures and washer fluid, only four in 10 feel confident they could change their windscreen wipers.
And nearly a fifth have postponed checks, despite a warning light flashing up on their dashboard.
When quizzed further, 28% of the 2,000 motorists polled said they put off investigating a warning light because they ‘don’t know what they’re doing’ and 27% were ‘scared of what they might find’.
The results raise concerns about the state of cars on UK roads, and how motorists could be putting lives at risk by not maintaining their vehicles properly.
A Fixter spokesperson said: “It’s worrying to see so many are unable to perform basic maintenance on their cars.
“Not only is this a financial issue – the phrase ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ is extremely relevant to cars – it poses huge safety problems.
“A tyre blowing out because the tread was too low or running your car without enough oil can cause serious accidents.”
Most know the dangers
The poll also found that 29% of motorists don’t bother to check their engine coolant levels, while 22% never check their oil levels.
Half will leave maintenance jobs to mechanics, while a third depend on their partner to make sure their car is roadworthy.
Despite this non-proactive approach, most drivers are well aware of the risks, with eight in 10 acknowledging the dangers of failing to carry out regular routine checks on their vehicle.
But, with 40% believing their car isn’t in any immediate danger of breaking down, they’re content to put off getting it checked.
To make sure you keep yourself and others safe on the roads, see our guide on how to check if your car is roadworthy.
