Driving Home for Christmas

CHRIS Rea may have sung about driving home for Christmas but recent research by Halfords, the UK’s leading retailer of motoring products, has revealed that many motorists are going to extraordinary lengths when visiting their loved ones over the festive period.

Halfords’ survey reveals that 27 per cent of motorists will still make the trip home for Christmas even if they know their vehicle has a fault. The report revealed: 

• A surprising 53 per cent of UK drivers are unaware that they could be making the trip with unsafe tyres. Motorists should check their tyre pressure every two weeks in cold weather. Halfords Autocentres can check tyres are safe and legal for free
• 25 per cent of motorists won’t check their oil levels before making the trip. Low oil levels can cause serious damage to your engine
• 89 per cent of drivers when asked would continue to drive with a blown bulb for up to two weeks. Driving with broken or faulty lights is illegal and dangerous and motorists can even risk a £100 fine and three points if lights are obscured by dirt or snow
• 30 per cent of drivers would drive for more than a month with a chipped windscreen. Halfords has launched a windscreen chip check service to help spot chips before they become cracks
• 31 per cent of drivers only check screen wash once it stops working. This can cause major visibility problems

These findings are all the more worrying because the research reveals that 20 per cent of us will clock up over 200 miles of travel time over the festive period.

Ella Colley, Halfords’ winter motoring spokesperson says: “We were really surprised to hear that almost a third of drivers would make a festive trip even if their car had a fault. That combined with long distances and traffic can bring out anyone’s inner Grinch. We are making it easier for families with our free winter checks, to make sure your car is good to go before you set off on your journey.”

Halfords’ free nationwide winter checks are available now in Autocentres and shops and include checks on oil, checks and top up of screen wash, blades, bulbs, batteries, as well as a windscreen chip check service. Available now at over 700 Halfords shops and Halfords Autocentres, pop in today or book online at www.halfordsautocentres.com.

Research taken from Halfords’ YouGov report and Halfords’ Parent Panel data.

For further information please contact Halfords@z-pr.com or 020 7896 3404 

For more information visit www.halfords.com or www.halfordscompany.com