Brits are becoming very dependent upon garages to repair even minor faults on their cars.
A survey by Zurich Connect, commissioned ahead of the British Motor Show, has found that 43 per cent of drivers don’t know how to change a tyre, and 27 per cent said that they didn’t know what their tyre pressures should be, or how to inflate them to correct the reading.
A quarter of drivers said that they didn’t know how to ‘top-up’ with oil – 29 per cent said that they didn’t know where the dipstick was located in their vehicle. Another quarter couldn’t distinguish between the radiator and the windscreen wiper filler caps.
Vicki Butler-Henderson, the racing driver and presenter of TV programmes ‘Top Gear’ and ‘Fifth Gear’, said: "It’s amazing how many people can’t manage even the most basic maintenance on their cars – changing a tyre, checking the pressure and checking the oil are fundamental things you need to know if you own a car."
The Department of Transport has announced that the driving test will be altered in 2009 to include more practical questions about the mechanical workings of the car.
