RAC Survey: Young Drivers not maintaining vehicles to save money
A poll commissioned by the RAC suggests many young drivers are not maintaining their cars properly due to inflation and cost-of-living pressures. The poll has indicated that 26% of drivers aged 17-24 have put off necessary repairs to save money while 28% are not having their vehicles serviced as frequently as they should.
Some 6% of respondents in this age group admitted to the illegal step of deliberately avoiding putting their car through its annual MOT, which tests a number of parts such as lights, seatbelts, tyres and brakes to ensure they meet legal standards.
Across all age groups, 38% of drivers said they have reduced spending on their cars, whether that is switching to a cheaper insurer (19%), servicing their vehicles less often (12%) or putting off repairs (11%), with the figure rising to 64% for those aged 17-24.
The Department for Transport is analysing feedback from a consultation which sought views on the frequency of MOTs, which follows the suggestion from ex-transport secretary Grant Shapps of halving the frequency of MOTs from every year to every two years to save people money.
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