A study from tyre manufacturer Kumho reveals quite a worrying fact about British drivers: one in five car owners don’t know how to open the bonnets on their own cars! Furthermore, the survey revealed that half of drivers don’t know how to change a wheel if they suffered a flat tyre.

As if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, one in six drivers over 30 who took part in the survey said they relied on their parents to make everything better in case of a breakdown. As there are 7,000 failures on British roads every day, people are becoming more dependent on roadside assistance services.

However, the number of breakdowns is set to rise, as an increasing number of car users fail to notice problems with their cars. About a third of motorists rely on their annual MOT to discover mechanical faults and to reassure them that their car is fit for use. Obviously, they ignore the fact that the MOT test will not highlight most current or developing faults and doesn’t even guarantee a car’s roadworthiness for the whole year.

“It’s a concern that such a large proportion of British road users don’t know basic car maintenance, especially something as crucial as accessing the engine bay! A fundamental knowledge of how your car operates ensures that drivers recognize potential warning signs, improving safety for all road users. Perhaps British drivers need to go back to basics,” said Dan Woodward, brand manager at Kumho Tyre UK.

By Dan Mihalascu

Story References: Kumho via Aol UK

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