RAC report finds drivers ‘too busy’ for vehicle repairs
New research has revealed that more than a quarter of motorists view vehicle repairs and servicing as a hassle to be avoided.
According to a study by RAC Mobile Mechanics, 27% of respondents said taking their cars for servicing or repairs was an inconvenience, with time lost dropping off and picking up their vehicles cited as the number one issue for 68% of drivers.
This compares to 47% who said time without their cars was the main issue and 42% who said uncertainty around repair times was their biggest bugbear.
Meanwhile, drivers aged 17 to 44 were most likely to be too time poor to arrange repairs, with 38% admitting it was a major chore.
The research also found that more than a third of all drivers who get their vehicle serviced or repaired have to travel five or more miles to a garage, with 22% depending on someone giving them a lift to and from the garage and 10% using public transport.
Facing such inconveniences, 18% of drivers who do get their vehicles serviced don’t always do so on time.
RAC chief executive of mobile servicing and repairs Paul Coward said: “Simply put, keeping on top of servicing and repairing a vehicle is the best way to avoid it breaking down in the future. But it’s clear there are some common factors that conspire against us getting our cars looked at as soon as we should.”
Repairs rigmarole
Coward continued: “Whether it’s the difficulty of finding a slot at a garage, a lack of courtesy cars, or the time we have to take out of our days to get to and from a garage, there’s certainly a degree of ‘repairs rigmarole’ involved that drivers would probably like to do without.
“And it’s those drivers who are short of time – the working population and those with families – as well as people who live in more rural areas who appear to be most affected.
“Skipping repairs, or delaying or even cancelling planned servicing, is a false economy – you’ll always end up with a bigger bill down the line. And a car that’s not been looked after and has a patchy service history is worth less and is harder to sell on in the future.”
