More than half of UK motorists admit they can't change a tyre

More than half of UK motorists don't know how to change a car tyre, according to a new survey.

Research by Holts also reveals that nearly half of drivers would’t know what to do if they broke down on a motorway hard shoulder.

One thousand people were polled about their motoring knowledge, driving habits and the causes of stress and anxiety on the road.

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Less than half (44 per cent) said they knew how to change a tyre but only 23 per cent would consider using a tyre filler as a temporary measure.

Although the Highway Code includes rules for breakdowns on motorways, 44 per cent of motorists wouldn’t know what action to take if they become stranded on the hard shoulder, which topped a list of the worst places to breakdown.

However, surprisingly more than one in ten (13 per cent) have used the hard shoulder for other, non-urgent reasons, such as a child needing the toilet, a comfort break or even a picnic.

The arrival of autumn means darker evenings and driving at night causes anxiety and stress for almost two thirds (64 per cent) of motorists.

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Their biggest concerns when loved ones are at the wheel are breakdowns (32 per cent), followed by flat tyres (24 per cent), other drivers (22 per cent) and potential collisions (22 per cent).

A further 89% admit of motorists admit experiencing road rage, the most-frequent causes being dangerous drivers (30 per cent), cyclists (17 per cent) and heavy or gridlocked traffic (16 per cent).

Meanwhile, motorists see Matt Dawson as the celebrity who would be most helpful in the event of breakdown — the former England rugby player beating car-loving former Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and Chris Evans.

Claire Fenton from Holts, said: “Flat tyres can come at the worst times – when you’ve got a car full of children, are running late to a special occasion or on the way to work – and this can be inconvenient, time-consuming and stressful. As well as highlighting how many drivers feel stressed, anxious or angry on the road, it showed that many motorists wouldn’t know how to change a tyre on their car or what to do if they break down on motorway hard shoulder.

“And car users will be keen to have Matt on board in case of emergency because who better to help push your car to safety than an ex-rugby player?”