Carrentals.co.uk, the car hire comparator which helps people save on rentals in over 15,000 destinations around the world, has announced the results of a new road safety poll. The website surveyed more than 2,300 UK drivers and discovered that 1 in 3 choose not to have their vehicle serviced due to expense and 1 in 5 have not had bald or worn tyres replaced ahead of winter.

The poll also showed that 1 in 10 motorists have changed from comprehensive to third-party car insurance to save money while pre-winter car servicing and checks are also being neglected; 60% of people have saved money on not getting tyres checked while 80% haven’t had their brakes checked either.

Changing brake pads regularly is usually considered a car maintenance essential, but 10% of respondents told Carrentals.co.uk that they have not done so recently to save money.

Gareth Robinson, managing director of Carrentals.co.uk, says: “The results of our latest survey were somewhat concerning, as road safety is simply so important particularly in winter. We understand that people need to make cutbacks wherever possible but we don’t advise skimping on vehicle maintenance.”

“British winters are typically hazardous on the roads and ice causes many accidents every year. With that in mind we want people to consider where else they can make savings rather than neglecting their car’s safety, something which puts themselves and others at risk.”

The Carrentals.co.uk poll also found that almost 1 in 3 people have traded their car in for a cheaper to maintain model in recent times, while more than 56% now visit an independent garage for car servicing in place of more costly authorised places.

Traditional car rescue cover has also suffered as a result of the financial crisis according to the new Carrentals.co.uk survey. 1 in 10 people have cancelled car rescue contracts and 3% of people confessed to driving without insurance due to the costs of policies these days.

“People clearly need to make cutbacks wherever possible these days, and we understand that entirely, Gareth went on. “However that is not to say that we condone neglecting road safety. Car maintenance is essential, especially with icy weather on the way, so we urge people to look for other ways to save money this winter.”

The award winning Carrentals.co.uk is the leading car hire comparison site comparing the best deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, Holiday Autos and Sixt. Travellers can rent a car in over 15,000 locations around the world, including car hire in Tenerife, and car hire in Lanzarote for a winter sun escape.

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