Barely three in ten drivers prepare their car before the holiday trip

Of the 89 million trips that the Directorate-General of Traffic estimates will be made by road this summer, only 30 percent of them will be undertaken after the car has been tuned up at a workshop and prepared as well as possible for the long summer journeys. Only one in ten drivers takes their car in for a service before setting off.

This is the main figure reflected in the report drawn up by Autingo, although there are many others that are also quite worrying. According to the results of the survey on customer behaviour at workshops conducted by the platform, 55 percent of drivers say they do not go to the workshop to check the condition of their car “unless they have no other choice”.

When a person repairs their own car out of ignorance or because the right materials are not used, the engine or other key parts can be damagedAmong the usual habits of drivers in the days before leaving on holiday, 55 percent said that they themselves check the condition of their vehicles and, only if necessary, go to the workshop to carry out the repair or maintenance work needed before hitting the road. “Care must be taken in these cases where a person dares to diagnose the car’s problem and carry out any kind of work on the vehicle without the necessary knowledge,” says Pedro Sanz, managing director of Autingo. “Sometimes — Sanz warns — the right materials are not used, which can damage the engine or other key parts, or an error is made in diagnosing the car’s fault, leading to work on sensitive areas that can make the problem even worse.”

The figure is particularly striking when we turn to another result of the survey, according to which only 15% consider themselves a “handyman” when it comes to mechanics and dare to carry out an oil change or coolant replacement, or even some repair, themselves in order to avoid going to the workshop.

Carrying out preventive maintenance is vital for our safety on the road and for that of other road users. Of those surveyed, 80% say they are aware of this, but a 20% whose attitude deserves study, since they downplay the importance of preventive vehicle checks and consider that accidents are caused solely by human error and not by failing to go to the workshop.

For Autingo’s managing director, this is a quite irresponsible attitude. “Keeping the tyres in good condition, checking the brakes and safety systems, monitoring oil and coolant levels, among other things, is very important and must not be neglected or cut corners on. The poor condition of any of these components can lead to an unexpected problem with the vehicle on the road and put our safety at the wheel at risk.”

Behind this attitude lies the fear of having to repair more things than initially expected, and uncertainty about the price are the main reasons for not going to the workshop. 35% of those surveyed say that they have sometimes taken the car in for one specific thing and ended up having to carry out more changes and repairs than initially expected, with a consequent increase in the budget. 34% cite price as the reason for doing their own checks.

For Sanz, “this mistrust has been fuelled by the proliferation of rogue workshops that, by offering very low prices, lack the licence or the professionalism and knowledge needed, leading them to provide low-quality services that in most cases do not solve the problem or make it worse”, which is why they recommend and we recommend always going to official or trusted workshops that offer safety, professional service and all the guarantees.