Putting it off

Anna Ellis COST-OF-LIVING pressures have forced almost a quarter of drivers (23 per cent) in the UK to either put off getting their vehicles serviced or do it themselves with or without the help of a friend or family member, a new survey of 2,000 UK drivers by the RAC has found.

While 10 per cent have postponed their next car service by up to a year to save money, one­in­20 (5 per cent) have gone further and delayed getting their vehicles checked for more than a year, and are only relying on the annual MOT to ensure their car is roadworthy.

An additional one­in­10 (10 per cent) meanwhile have decided to either start servicing their cars themselves, or called on the assistance of someone they know to do it.

Nine per cent of drivers say have opted for cheaper servicing ­ for instance by swapping a full or major service for a minor one ­ while a similar proportion (8 per cent) have switched from using their normal garage to a cheaper one.