Drivers urged to check oil and tyres

Millions of cars are heading out on to Britain’s winter roads without a C.O.A.T. (Check Oil and Tyres) according to new research by Kwik-Fit.   Despite the onset of tough winter conditions, over eight million motorists haven’t checked their car’s oil and tyres in the last six months.

Winter may account for millions of battery failures but 13.6 million motorists haven’t had theirs checked out.  This is a cause for alarm as the car repairs specialist predicts that as many as one in six drivers (around 17 per cent) will breakdown this winter with a flat battery.  A further one in four (9.2 million) motorists have left their brakes unchecked.

Drivers under 24 are the most casual with their winter preparations, being the least likely of all age groups to have checked their car’s tyres, screenwash, lights or wiper blades.

By contrast, the Boy Scout motto “be prepared” is most often followed by drivers over 65.  Of the eight checks Kwik-Fit researched, seven of them were most likely to have been made by this oldest age group. 

Despite the widespread belief that Scotland has harsher winters, Scottish motorists were less likely to have checked their tyres, lights, oil and wiper blades than drivers in other parts of the UK. 

To keep Britain’s motorists off the hard shoulder this winter Kwik-Fit is offering a nationwide free winter check-up programme to help educate drivers that the best defence against a breakdown is preparation.  Motorists can visit the company’s centres without an appointment and its expert fitters will check the condition of their car battery, tyres, lights and windscreen washers free of charge – unlike many other companies who will levy a fee for a winter check up.

David White, customer services director at Kwik-Fit, says: “No one wants to break down at any time of year, but being stranded on a cold, dark, winter’s day can be particularly unpleasant.  Yet according to experts well over half of all roadside recoveries could be avoided through basic car maintenance. 

“There’s a big safety risk too as an empty screenwash, worn out tyres or wiper blades can easily lead to an accident.  Regular checks are easy to make and will help keep motorists safe and on the road.  We urge younger drivers to follow the lead of the older, more experienced motorists and get into the habit of making those regular checks and remember that car COATs are a must-have item this winter.”