Being stranded on the road is every driver's idea of a nightmare, but a recent survey has revealed that it is motorists' own lack of knowledge rather than their car's performance that is to blame.
Research conducted by Kwik Fit, the UK's largest automotive repair company, found that some drivers aren't equipped with the skills to deal with a tyre puncture. 36% (11.6 million) of those surveyed stated that they have the correct tools to swap a wheel, but have no idea how to do so. 10% (2.9 million) say they do carry a spare wheel, but lack the tools to fit it. For 6% (1.8 million) the situation is even worse with drivers in this group having neither the correct equipment nor the knowledge of how to put it to use.
Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, said:
"There are clearly gaps in knowledge around how to change a tyre, and indeed many cars are missing tools, which means even if a spare is carried some motorists will struggle to swap it over. Changing a wheel is a skill that all drivers should have, and if anyone isn't confident enough to do so they can visit their local Kwik Fit centre and the team will happily walk them through it."
There are an estimated 8.8 million (26%) drivers suffering a puncture each year, a fact which could lead to 250,000 cars being stranded over the course of the next year.
The lack of tyre knowledge may partly be attributed to the fact that some cars no longer have full-size spares as standard. 3.3 million motorists with a spare tyre are unable to differentiate between a full-size spare or a low-speed space-saver, leading to potentially hazardous blowouts on long journeys.
To make matters even worse, some models don't come with spare tyres and offer a puncture repair kit as a precautionary measure instead. Of the 4 million (11%) who have a puncture repair kit, 3 million also carry a spare tyre to ensure they are able to deal with double punctures.
