In a recent survey done for JAX Tyres, 40% of respondents admit to not being able to change a flat tyre. It shows that basic car
maintenance has taken a huge step back, especially with the younger generation of drivers. The polls also showed that one in every eight drivers aged 18 to 25 do not even know where the spare tyre is stored. Add to that, half of the young drivers in the survey do not know how to add coolant. Also, one in every eight Aussie drivers do not know how to fill up their window washers.
Another survey done by Pureprofile found out that one in every four drivers in Australia failed to check water, oil and tyre pressure before going on a long road trip.
Can you change a flat tyre? Take a look at more of these car maintenance statistics
Gary Atherthon from the Kagan Institute, which has a car care course to teach drivers how to maintain their cars, believes that drivers buying reliable and expensive first cars are less likely to encounter the basics of car maintenance. Another study shows that Aussie drivers aged 65 and above were the most competent with the rudimentary car maintenance skills. The youngest generation of drivers aged 18 to 25 were the worst according to the survey. This lack of basic maintenance skills can also be attributed to the fact that most new cars come with road side assistance as part of the package in case of breakdowns or if they run out of fuel.
Jax Tyres CEO Jeff Board warns that not knowing even the most basic car maintenance can lead to higher servicing costs in the future. Learning how to do the basics such as checking the oil or tyre pressure will ensure that you encounter less problems in the future, especially when to get your car serviced. Running low on oil can cause severe damage to your car and can degrade your engine faster than normal.
At the least, how do you change a flat tyre?
This guide will be short and quick. If you want more information, you can join a class that could teach you how to change a flat tyre or you can also go online and DIY by watching videos or reading about how to change a flat tyre.
- Safety first. Look for a safe spot where you can pull over to change your tyre.
- Don’t forget to turn your hazard lights.
- Use a wrench and use it so you can loosen the lug nuts on your tyre.
- Lift your car off the ground by using a jack.
- Remove the loose lug nuts and pull the tyre off your vehicle. Make sure that you put the lug nuts on a pile so that it will be easy for you to find them later.
- Take your spare tyre and place it on the car.
- Put the lug nuts back on.
- Lower the car back on the ground.
- Go back to your lug nuts and make sure that they are tightened.
- Put your flat tyre and the tools used back in your trunk.
Keeping your car road worthy is a skill that every driver should have. Being able change a flat tyre and to check for tyre pressure, water and oil are essential to road safety and can save you precious time. No one wants to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere just because they failed to check the tyre pressure and cannot change a flat tyre.
Being able to change a flat tyre is definitely faster than waiting for the road side assistance crew to save the day; and not to mention, it should be less expensive too.