Safe Tyres? No Thanks, We’d Rather Party…

Kwik-Fit expresses concern that almost a third of car owning students would rather blow their budget on a night out than fix a tyre. Admittedly, finances are often tight while studying, but the fast fit giant points out it’s not just necessities such as books, rent and food that are taking priority over car maintenance. Kwik-Fit reveals the shameful statistic that 32 per cent of car owning students confessed that they’d choose to blow their last £50 on a big night out rather than replace an illegal tyre – even if it meant driving home on it the next day.

According to Kwik-Fit, there are some 300,000 car owning students in the UK, and around one in five of these have driven an unroadworthy car in order to save money. You will not be surprised to hear this figure jumps to 37 per cent amongst the male car owning student population. Other student statistics worthy of an ‘F’ are that 14 per cent of car owning students have knowingly driven on worn out tyres, seven per cent without a valid MoT certificate, five per cent sans road tax and three per cent without insurance.
 
“It is only natural that students want to spend what little remainder they have of their student loans on leisure pursuits, but this mustn’t be at the cost of road safety,” commented Kwik-Fit customer services director David White.

While over three quarters of car owning students say that the financial responsibility for maintaining their vehicle lies with themselves, the remaining 24 per cent rely on their parents. Concerned parents, Kwik-Fit points out, can buy their offspring vouchers for car maintenance or even pre-book and pay for a service and MoT, and purchase tyres through the company’s website. Furthermore, any students who are unsure about the safety of their car can receive a free check at their local Kwik-Fit centre.

“Parents can always take the burden away and cover motoring costs by purchasing vouchers, or book essentials such as services and MoTs, and order tyres online, to help keep their sons and daughters safe on the roads,” White added.