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Britain's most clueless drivers revealed
Keeping your car in good shape is not only crucial for its longevity and your safety on the road, but it’s an important part of being a responsible car owner. But how much do motorists really know about their car? We decided to find out.
Conducting a survey of 2,000 UK drivers, we wanted to find out what drivers really know about car maintenance, asking if they know how to perform tasks such as refilling their oil and screen wash, checking and pumping up their tyres, and more. We went one step further to crunch the numbers across age, gender and region to find out who Britain’s most clueless drivers are.
The nation at a glance
- 17% of British motorists have never personally filled their car’s screen wash.
- 24% have never checked or inflated their car’s tyres.
- 41% have never checked or topped up their coolant themselves.
- 50% have never changed their windscreen wipers.
Where to find clueless drivers?
A surprising 42.9% of London motorists admit they have never performed any standard car maintenance, ranking them first in the clueless drivers ranking. This means that nearly half of the drivers in the capital are hitting the roads without ever having checked their tyre pressure, refilled their oil, or even topped up their screen wash. Interestingly, these clueless drivers aren’t lacking in confidence. 22% of London motorists stated they are very confident in their car maintenance abilities, the highest percentage out of all regions, despite their clear lack of knowledge.
Percentage of people who have never performed basic car maintenance
|
Rank |
Region |
Percentage |
|
1 |
London |
42.9% |
|
2 |
North West |
42.8% |
|
3 |
Wales |
42.4% |
|
4 |
Northern Ireland |
42.3% |
|
5 |
South West |
41.3% |
|
6 |
South East |
40.6% |
|
7 |
North East |
40.3% |
|
8 |
West Midlands |
39.8% |
|
9 |
Scotland |
38.4% |
|
10 |
East of England |
38% |
|
11 |
Yorkshire and The Humber |
37.9% |
|
12 |
East Midlands |
35.9% |
The North West follows closely behind London, ranking second with 42.8% of people in the region admitting they have never performed basic car maintenance themselves. Wales comes in third place, with 42.4% never having done any car maintenance, and it also had the highest percentage of people who had never topped up or checked their own coolant, at 45%.
On a positive note, drivers in the East Midlands can pat themselves on the back as they rank highest in Britain for car maintenance skills, with only 36% admitting they have never performed standard car maintenance. Impressively, nearly three-quarters (73%) have checked and refilled their oil, surpassing the national average of 65%.
Percentage of drivers from each region who have never performed tasks
|
Region |
Change a car tyre |
Replace windscreen wipers |
Check & refill oil |
Check & fill tyres |
Fill screen wash |
Jumpstart a car with cables |
Push start a car |
Check & top up coolant |
|
|
|
London |
50% |
55% |
38% |
32% |
27% |
54% |
45% |
42% |
|
|
North West |
60% |
52% |
39% |
25% |
18% |
57% |
51% |
40% |
|
|
Wales |
60% |
52% |
37% |
25% |
15% |
59% |
48% |
43% |
|
|
Northern Ireland |
54% |
57% |
35% |
25% |
15% |
60% |
49% |
43% |
|
|
South West |
58% |
51% |
36% |
24% |
18% |
53% |
45% |
45% |
|
|
South East |
61% |
48% |
35% |
23% |
20% |
51% |
47% |
40% |
|
|
North East |
51% |
53% |
32% |
24% |
16% |
58% |
43% |
45% |
|
|
West Midlands |
59% |
46% |
28% |
23% |
19% |
55% |
47% |
41% |
|
|
Scotland |
49% |
48% |
35% |
24% |
15% |
50% |
42% |
44% |
|
|
East of England |
56% |
47% |
31% |
21% |
11% |
50% |
51% |
37% |
|
|
Yorkshire and The Humber |
55% |
46% |
33% |
24% |
13% |
47% |
47% |
38% |
|
|
East Midlands |
52% |
45% |
26% |
23% |
14% |
46% |
41% |
40% |
Who Brits bring to the garage for backup
The survey revealed some interesting differences between men and women when it comes to seeking support at the car garage. A significant 63% of British females prefer to bring someone along for "support," and nearly three-quarters (72%) of them would choose their partner over anyone else.
On the flip side, only 37% of males would bring someone to the garage for support, with most opting to get either a friend or a partner to tag along. It seems that while men are less likely to seek support, when they do, they are just as likely to rely on a buddy as they are their significant other.
Who ya gonna call?
The survey also unearthed some fascinating generational differences in who people turn to for car maintenance advice. Among those aged 45 and over, a surprising 19% would still call their parents for help. It seems that even as adults, many still trust their parents' wisdom when it comes to car issues. Meanwhile, 6% of those aged 55 and over would opt to ring a sibling for advice.
For the younger crowd, a whopping 62% of individuals aged 18-44 would call their parents for car maintenance guidance. However, only 3% of people aged 65 and over would call their child for assistance, indicating that the older generation prefers to rely on their own experience or other sources for car maintenance tips.
Our survey reveals that a significant portion of British motorists lack basic car maintenance skills, with motorists in London leading the pack as the most "clueless drivers". Despite regional differences, the trend is clear: Many drivers, of all ages, still rely heavily on their parents for advice. As vehicle maintenance is crucial for safety, these findings suggest a need for greater awareness and education among UK drivers to ensure safer roads for everyone.
