Fuel Crisis

Back

- Over 7 million UK motorists regularly run on empty(1)

– Friday, 14 January 2011: New research(2) out today reveals that almost a quarter of hard up British motorists (22 per cent) regularly drive when their fuel gauge is on red or the warning light is on.

With petrol prices set to hit new highs after a BP pipeline leak in Alaska, the research commissioned by esure car insurance revealed a worrying 62 per cent of motorists drive on their fuel reserves at least four times a year and a fifth of those surveyed (19 per cent) always wait for the fuel warning light before filling up.

This dangerous habit is leading to many motorists taking unnecessary safety risks. One in five (19 per cent) motorists have entered or been on a motorway while driving on their fuel reserves and a third (34 per cent) have driven on an empty tank whilst driving alone or on their own at night.

More than one in ten motorists (11 per cent) have broken down as a result of running out of fuel and eight per cent have had their car engines misfire due to low fuel, which can cause internal damage.

Despite this, many motorists are still woefully unprepared for the risks that they are putting themselves in. Almost three quarters (73 per cent) do not keep an empty fuel can in their car and only 37 per cent keep an emergency kit in their car, which should contain essentials such as a warning triangle and first aid kit. A third (33 per cent) even said that they sometimes drove without their phone, which could severely hamper their ability to seek help in an emergency.

Due to recent hikes in fuel prices, it now costs £61.07 to fill up an average family car(3), while the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s most recent figures(4) show that petrol consumption is down 3.4 per cent compared to the same period last year. Despite this, only one in ten (10 per cent) motorists polled said that the amount they spend on petrol decreased over the last year.

A quarter of Brits (26 per cent) said their tactic was to fill their fuel tank “little and often” rather than filling it up fully. A further 28 per cent of those questioned said that they’ve filled up less than £10 in a single petrol station visit, filling less than a sixth of their tank(5).

Mike Pickard, Head of Risk and Underwriting at esure car insurance, said: “Petrol prices may be rising, but for many people the amount that they fill up is not. It may be psychologically reassuring to put less in, but driving on low petrol can damage your car and increase the risk of being stranded.

“By employing our top tips to make their fuel last longer, motorists will not only avoid extra trips to the petrol station, but improve their car’s health and help avoid an unpleasant experience.”


Top tips to conserve fuel

Male motorists were the most likely to take risks while driving, as alarmingly a quarter (24 per cent) have driven on their reserves while on the motorway compared to 15 per cent of female motorists.

Despite more than a quarter (26 per cent) of female motorists saying that they had driven on their reserves while on their own or at night, they were less prepared than their male counterparts for a breakdown. Half (48 per cent) said that they didn’t have an emergency kit in their car for the event of a breakdown and one in ten (12 per cent) admitted that they had one, but didn’t know how to use it.

Older motorists were found to be the most prepared and the least likely to take risks. Just one in ten (11 per cent) motorists over the age of 45 has driven on their reserves while on the motorway and 43 per cent have an emergency kit in their car.

 

                                                                     - ends -

 

esure’s press contacts:
For further information please contact the esure press office at Mischief PR on 020 7100 999 or email esure@mischiefpr.com.

An ISDN line is available for radio interviews. A case study is available on request.

Notes to Editors:
(1) 7,374,863 is an estimation based on 22 per cent of the total UK motoring population based on DfT Transport Statistics – 33,522,106 motor vehicles currently licensed 2006. This is a projected figure based on the 1,035 motorists surveyed
(2) esure used the independent online research company FlyResearch who surveyed 1,035 British motorists from across the country between 5 and 9 January 2011. FlyResearch is an online market research company. Its researches are members of the MRS, PRCA, BPC and Esomar, and abide by their guidelines. Further information is available at www.FlyResearch.com.
(3)http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1339345/Petrol-price-hits-new-high-Drivers-spend-8m-day-year-ago.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
(4)http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jtV-qmj93fTvU8YNKG_sbQJfpAQA?docId=N0306221293109575561A
(5)Based on the size of an average family sized car