Love my car

Citation

(1999), "Love my car", Work Study, Vol. 48 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ws.1999.07948fab.008

Love my car

Love my car

According to new research published today, the vast majority of car drivers in the UK are prepared to cut spending in other areas of their lives to make up for the increased cost of keeping a car on the road. The survey, conducted by Hamilton Direct Bank, questioned a random group of men and women across the UK on whether the rising cost of running a car would encourage them to leave their cars at home. Eighty-two percent of respondents admitted they would cut spending on holidays and entertainment to make up for increases in fuel and tax. Asked their reasons, the majority of respondents (62 per cent) cited unreliable public transport as the main reason to keep driving. Twenty-one percent of respondents claimed that they enjoy driving too much to stop, 10 per cent believed they would actually spend more on public transport and 7 per cent blamed their reliance on the car on the poor English weather. The majority (75 per cent) of respondents did admit that they would attempt to buy cars that are environmentally friendly. However this would not be the most influential factor in their choice. The majority of men are most influenced by image (39 per cent), followed by running costs (33 per cent) and then size and power (28 per cent). Women are most influenced by reliability (42 per cent), image (38 per cent) and running costs (20 per cent). Demonstrating our love of our cars, 65 per cent of respondents admitted they occasionally talk to their cars. Popular topics included congratulatory sentiments when the car has performed well and pleas for good behaviour, especially in bad weather. Almost half of respondents (40 per cent) confessed to naming their cars with the majority of cars on our roads being female!

The survey also highlighted the following:

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  Women's favourite car colour is racing green, men admit a preference for red and silver.

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  Women far prefer to take out a personal loan to pay for their car, with cash purchases a second choice. Men on the other hand, prefer to pay cash, with loans coming second as a preferred method of payment.

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  Women are the key decision makers when buying a car for the family.

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  The average person replaces their vehicle once every three years.

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  Perhaps not surprisingly, 98 per cent of males polled believe that men make better drivers.

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  Ten percent of female respondents agreed that men make better drivers

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  Ninety percent of female respondents believe that women make better drivers.