ATS Euromaster offers free pre-holiday car health check

Drivers planning long distance car journeys over the summer holidays are being urged to prepare with a free vehicle health check designed to help beat the credit-crunch blues and ensure trouble-free holiday motoring.

Available at any of ATS Euromaster’s 450 service centres across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the no-obligation inspections are designed to identify issues which could pose an increased safety or reliability issue, especially on long, high-speed motorway journeys.

Suitable for any make, model and age of car, including both private and company-owned vehicles, the health checks take approximately fifteen minutes and there is no need to book. Each inspection covers tyre tread depth, condition and pressure, as well as including visual inspections of front brakes, battery, exhaust and shock absorbers, with a written report issued to drivers on completion; and best of all, it’s free.

Chris Hufflett, Group Operations Director at ATS Euromaster, says: “With travel pundits warning less people will be jetting off this summer, it is widely anticipated that more families will be packing up their cars and enjoying lower cost holidays around the British Isles.”

“For these holidaymakers the last thing they want is to break down at the side of the road with a car full of excited kids and a boot jam-packed with luggage. On a hot summer’s day it can be a miserable, not to mention dangerous, experience and one which can often be avoided by letting a professional spend a few moments checking your car before you set off,” he adds.

According to the RAC, in 2007 the single top cause of breakdowns was a puncture (culminating in over 200,000 call-outs), followed by a flat battery. Battery and tyre related issues jointly accounted for 30 per cent of the 2.8 million breakdowns they attended, with battery-related issues blamed for 18 per cent and tyre-related problems 12 per cent. Furthermore, 76 per cent of RAC patrols surveyed for the Breakdown Britain Report 2008 claimed to have seen an upturn in damaged tyres on members vehicles.

To help prevent the risk of a breakdown, each ATS Euromaster health check pays special attention to the tyres, which are the only part of a vehicle in direct contact with the road’s surface. This includes ensuring all four tyres (plus the spare, if applicable) are in good condition, have enough tread remaining and are correctly inflated. These steps are essential for the safety of all road users – and especially so for cars which are likely to be carrying a heavier load than normal.

ATS Euromaster’s free summer health check comes at a time when more Brits are expected to holiday on home soil due to the combined effects of the recession and the Pound’s decreased value against the Euro and Dollar. This shift in travel trends means tens of thousands more cars are likely to be clocking-up holiday miles around the UK rather than spending a fortnight parked in long-stay airport car parks.

For free expert advice on any tyre-related or fast-fit issues, visit atseuromaster.co.uk