Chivalrous? Men All Talk When it Comes to Changing Tyres

Think you would help a woman driver change her tyre on the side of the road? Most men certainly think they are the chivalrous kind, but research conducted by Continental Tyres suggests that even more drive past.

Over half (55 per cent) of the British men questioned claimed they would stop to help a woman changing a tyre by the side of the road. But roadside tests conducted by Conti in five cities in England and Wales revealed that, in the actual event, 97 per cent drove by oblivious. And ladies, don’t even think of getting a puncture in Bristol – not a single passing motorist stopped to offer help. Geordies were found to be far more likely to rise – or crouch – to the challenge.

In a series of practical roadside tests where over 2,000 vehicles were observed, only 32 men stopped to help a woman in her mid-twenties clearly trying to change a tyre on the roadside.

Of the 726 men that drove past when the test was conducted in the streets of Bristol, in two hours not one vehicle stopped to offer assistance. However up north it was a different story. In Newcastle, the first on the scene within ten minutes of the ‘break-down’ was a pair of friendly coppers very willing to help. A further 12 people then stopped in the space of two hours – which accounted for one in eight of all passers by.

If you are in need of a helping hand, look out for a red coloured Peugeot with a middle-aged driver. Drivers of red cars were much more likely to help, with this colour accounting for 50 per cent of all cars that stopped to offer assistance and Peugeots accounted for 16 per cent of all cars that stopped.

Of those surveyed, 60 per cent of younger people (aged 16-24), more than any other age group, claimed they would stop to offer help to a stranded female motorist. However, in reality, the most likely to stop were those aged 40 – 50, accounting for one-third (31 per cent) of all offers of assistance.

Kate Hanson from Continental Tyres commented: “Although the exercise was a bit of fun there is an important underlying safety message for women motorists. If you get into a situation where you need to change a tyre on your car, you cannot always rely on being able to ask for help. You need to take responsibility for your tyres and regular checks on the condition of tyres, tyre pressure and tread depth can all help avoid a potentially dangerous breakdown. We encourage everyone to spend five minutes learning how to change a tyre – it really is simple if you just know how.”