Women lacking basic car maintenance skills

Women are risking being stranded due to poor knowledge of car care, the latest research has shown.

A survey of 2,009 motorists conducted o behalf of car insurance company, Churchill shows that whilst well over a quarter of men (28 per cent) consider themselves to be an ‘expert’, only one in twenty women (5 per cent) rate themselves this highly. At the other end of the spectrum, only one in ten men (10 per cent) consider their basic car maintenance skills to be poor or non-existent compared to nearly a third of women (31 per cent).

And it seems as though male confidence comes with good reason – when Churchill put it to the test, the research showed that they do have more knowledge when it comes to basic car maintenance skills. Results included that when asked how to they should check oil levels, only 21 per cent of male motorists were stumped compared to 44 per cent of women. Additionally, 35 per cent of men did not know how to check brake fluid levels compared to 73 per cent of women.

The new research shows that women are putting themselves at risk of being stranded by the side of the road as they fail to make the everyday checks that keep their cars in tip-top condition.To help, Churchill is giving away free breakdown cover with every car insurance policy sold until the end of September.

Claire Foster, spokesperson for Churchill Car Insurance, says: “Our research shows that many drivers lack essential car knowledge. In particular, many women told us that they don’t feel knowledgeable when it comes to their cars. However, having basic car maintenance knowledge can not only help prevent car breakdown situations, but can keep motorists, especially women, feeling more confident on the roads.”

Author: Faye Sunderland, June 26th, 2009
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