Younger drivers less confident in carrying out basic car maintenance tasks
The UK asks Google for car-related advice more than any other English-speaking country, including Ireland, Australia and the US, with the most-searched for questions relating to which kind of oil your car needs.
The research findings have been revealed following a recent AA-Populus survey in which drivers were asked which tasks they felt the most confident attempting without the help of a professional in terms of car maintenance.
More than 97 per cent said they were confident opening the bonnet and topping up the windscreen washer fluid.
Other top-five tasks included checking tyre pressure, checking engine oil level and topping it up.
Fewer than one in three drivers are confident changing the oil and filter without taking the car to a garage, while more than half (54 per cent) aren’t confident checking the power steering.
Other tasks drivers prefer to leave for the professionals include checking brake fluid level, changing a wheel and changing a windscreen wiper blade.
In terms of regional splits, drivers in the Yorkshire and Humberside and East Midlands regions are most comfortable performing these tasks themselves, where 77 per cent of those surveyed were confident.
Just 71 per cent of those surveyed in London were confident, while the second-lowest region was drivers in the South East where 74 per cent answered confidently.
It appears that age is a deciding factor when looking at vehicle maintenance confidence, with an average of 77 per cent of drivers aged over 65 claiming they could carry out the tasks listed in the survey.
Conversely, one in three drivers aged 18-24 weren’t confident handling the same tasks.
While 97 per cent of the youngest age bracket felt confident opening the bonnet of their vehicle, less than half were comfortable with tasks relating to flat tyres, brake fluid, power steering and oil changes.
As well as more detailed figures on how age and region affects car confidence, you can find further insights here on where people are most likely to use the internet to solve their motoring problems.
