Millions of British Motorists Confused About Their Own Car - How Many Americans Have Same Problem?

LONDON - June 24, 2007: Drivers have little knowledge about their own car with many motorists having no idea where the spare wheel is located, how to open the bonnet or how to check tyre pressures.

Brits, like Americans, may claim to be a nation of car lovers but millions of motorists just wouldn’t know where to start if their car went wrong, according to research among 2,562 drivers by Green Flag (a AAA-type road service organization).

Over nine million motorists - nearly 30% of Britain's driving force - admit that overall they don't know their way around their motor, a basic skills gap that could lead to significant time waiting around at the roadside if they ever broke down.

There are 33 million drivers in the country, according to the Department for Transport, but the survey revealed that:

2.5 million drivers have no idea where to find the spare wheel 49% of motorists don’t know how to fit a spare wheel One-in-six women drivers don’t know how to open their bonnet One-in-five men wouldn’t know where to find their spark plugs Over 3.5 million motorists are unsure about how to do open the bonnet 13% don’t know where to find the dipstick 13% don’t know where to find the windscreen washers 22% don’t know how to check tyre pressure

A Green Flag spokeswoman said: “The research clearly shows that many of us have scant knowledge about our cars despite relying on them to go about our everyday lives. There are few things more boring than being stuck waiting for help and just by brushing up on some basic car maintenance knowledge, drivers could identify some simple problems before the frustration kicks in and they need to call us out for expert help.”