Car owners could be risking safety by skipping services
A survey carried out by Bridgestone Ireland and its retail arm, First Stop, has indicated that motorists may have reduced their spend on car maintenance. Some 432 motorists took part in the survey. The survey showed:
* 74% of motorists believe the cost of motoring has gone up since last year
* Over half (52%) have experienced difficulty in meeting some of their motoring expenses in the past 12 months
* Of these, 63% did not have their car serviced at the scheduled time
* One in five of all motorists postponed their car service
* 18% of all motorists didn’t get their car serviced at all in the year
“Worryingly, only one third of those who didn’t get their car serviced believe that it compromises their safety,” says Jackie Wherity of Bridgestone Ireland. “It is of significant concern that during the downturn, motorists may have reduced their car maintenance.”
With regard to tyres, 68% of motorists surveyed are checking the rubber of their cars once a quarter while one in five are leaving it six months or more.
“In addition to poor car maintenance, we have evidence that motorists may be jeopardising their safety by not checking their tyres — which should be done once a month,” Jackie Wherity commented.
The survey threw up other interesting facts, including that 58% of people are not providing for motoring expenses each month, particularly for the NCT, tyre replacement or a car service.
Colm Conygham of First Stop commented: “Even the people who do budget monthly for motor expenses focus on fuel, insurance and tax — but this means if something does go wrong and they need an urgent car service or to have the tyres changed, they haven’t provided for that financially.”
Interestingly, the survey also revealed that 40% of motorists are using their cars less since 2008. Of these, 60% say it is due to costs (39% cost of fuel, 21% cost generally). Of that 60%, nearly a quarter are using public transport more, just under a third are walking more and 10% are cycling more.
Meanwhile, unaccompanied L-drivers are eight times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash, compared to those who are accompanied.
Research from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) over the six years from 2007-2012, 1,141 car or van drivers were involved in fatal collisions. Just 12 of them were accompanied by an experienced driver at the time.
The report shows there were 2,442 serious injuries, of which just 194 involved unaccompanied drivers.
Under new laws, L-drivers who take to the roads alone face two penalty points.
