Here's a breakdown of the main reasons for car breakdowns on Ireland's roads

The number of car breakdowns rose by 5% this year, according to the AA.

Mon, 28 Dec, 2015 - 09:26

The number of car breakdowns rose by 5% this year, according to the AA.

Worn-out batteries caused one in four of the breakdowns in 2015, while almost 17,000 motorists suffered a puncture.

Up to 30% of breakdowns involved electrical issues, while 20% involved the steering, suspension or brakes.

The figures show that women were more likely to get a puncture, while men put the wrong type of fuel in the car more often.

Conor Faughnan, director of consumer affairs at The AA, said these are issues normally associated with ageing vehicles.

He said: "Evidently, more people are purchasing new cars, with registration up by around 30% so far this year. It’ll be some time before this is detectable in the landscape of breakdowns, though."

He has advised motorists to ensure that their car is serviced regularly.

He also said that the rise in breakdowns relates to the increase in the numbers of cars on our roads.

He said: "Anyone need only travel via the M50 on any one day to know that there are a lot more people out and about.

"Fuel sales are normally a good proxy figure when determining the levels of activity on the roads, and mirror traffic data. As such, total fuel sales rose by nine percent in 2013, 2.2% in 2014 and by around 2.5% so far this year."

BREAKDOWNS BY CLASS from November 30, 2014 to November 30, 2015

CLASS - %

Electrical - 30%

Steering/Suspension/Brakes - 20%

Engine and Exhaust - 10%

Fuel - 9%

Transmission - 7%

Locks And Alarms - 5%

Charging - 4%

Cooling - 3%

Body/Heating/Ventilation - 3%

Ignition - 2%