UK motorists research - Shows that Mondays are the worst!

Research and studies are often being carried out on motorists and two new reports show that UK motorists hate Mondays and new car drivers are less willing to shell out for servicing.

Why UK motorists hate Mondays

According to new insurance claim figures from Auto Express, Mondays are the worst day of the week with more insurance claims than any other day. The statistics analyzed from swiftcover.com's 2013 claim data have shown that drivers were more likely to have an incident resulting in a claim on Mondays, at 17%, than any other day. Windscreen damage is 36% more likely at the start of the week too, with more than 10,000 claims on Mondays compared to the daily average of just 7,922.

The first day of the week also sees an increase in the number of single vehicle crashes, which is when a car strikes a lamppost or bollard for example and no other vehicles are involved. The higher Monday numbers are due to bleary eyed commuters struggling to get back into work mode after the weekend.

Maxine Tighe, head of motor claims at swiftcover.com, explained, “Over the past year we have seen a trend developing between the type of motor claims we receive and the day. Monday sees many people starting the week with a single vehicle collision.”

Mondays not the only bad day for motorists with Friday being the day for multi-vehicle motor accidents as motorists dash home in the rush hour mayhem. The figures also reveal that the rest of the week has a consistent claim rate until the weekend brings a lull in accidents and damage as fewer drivers are on the road.

The weekend is when minor claims rise, with many vehicles being vulnerable as they're left unattended outside homes. This leads to the rise in loss of keys, vandalism and theft across Saturday and Sunday.

UK motorists and car servicing

New Halfords Autocentres research shws that those with older, less expensive cars are willing to spend more on car servicing than those with expensive new cars. More than two thirds, 66%, of motorists whose cars are worth less than £1,000 are prepared to spend over a tenth of the car’s value on maintenance to ensure it remains roadworthy. However, just 20% of drivers with cars worth over £10,000 are willing to spend the same relative amount on car servicing.

Rory Carlin from Halfords Autocentres commented, “Whether you’re the owner of a Maserati or a Mini, cutting back on car maintenance is a false economy. However, our research shows that the drivers of less valuable cars are more willing to act upon faults as they arise. They are less able to afford large unforeseen bills that could effectively put the vehicle beyond economic repair, but are just as dependent on their car as more affluent drivers, so guard against them by keeping on top of car repairs.”

Maria McCarthy, author of The Girls' Car Handbook, said it’s important that drivers are careful with their cash when it comes to MOT and car servicing costs, “The annual MOT test can be an anxious time – like waiting for exam results or watching your child go off on a school trip. Expensive work can mean a difficult choice needs to be made – especially if money is tight and there isn’t enough set aside to buy a new car. But taking advice from an experienced mechanic who’s familiar with your car will help. Knowledge is power, so drivers need to understand whether a repair is likely to result in many more miles of happy motoring or they are potentially throwing good money after bad.”

In light of the results, the independent motoring business is reminding drivers to keep on top of car repairs to save money in the long run.

We'll keep you updated on any more surveys, studies or research on motorists in the future.