News Desk

With less than one in ten checking their brake pads were safe (8%) and 88% admitting leaving the car seatbelts unchecked, this suggests that the majority of Britons take fundamental vehicle safety features for granted, leaving passengers at increased risk on long journeys.

The figures reveal that less than one in three drivers would check the condition of their tyres (27%) before going out on the roads and less than half of Britons would check oil and water levels (45%), imperative for vehicle function, thereby increasing the chances of motorway break-downs.

In addition to these figures, the survey cites that windscreen wipers and screen-wash levels are neglected to be checked before a journey (86%) despite it being on the RMI’s ultimate check-before-you-go list. Whilst 97% of those surveyed claim they check the car before they travel, the figures reveal that drivers are not checking enough of the right components to merit a road-worthy car.

RMI’s practical list of top five car features to check before travelling on a long journey are:

Car check-list before a long journey:

1. Tyre pressure and tyre tread condition

2. Water levels

3. Oil levels

4. Lights

5. Windscreen wipers

Paul Williams, Chairman of the RMI commented:

“Although checking tyre pressure and oil levels before a long car journey came out as top of the list in our research, the figures reflect that as overall percentages, too few people are making these vital checks, which equates to a large number of unsafe cars out on the roads this bank holiday weekend. Car owners usually only get their cars checked when a service is due, but we would urge drivers to have an interim safety check on their cars much more frequently.

“With a reported 81% of people planning to make a long journey over the coming May bank holiday weekends, now more than ever, drivers need to consider not only the safety of themselves and their passengers, but also the safety of the increased number of people on the road this weekend.”