Admiral Reveals The Impact Of Rising Fuel Costs On Motorists
Released on: June 03, 2011, 8:25 am
Author:
Admiral
Industry:
Automotive
Admiral has found motorists using their cars less and ignoring
problems with their cars due to motoring costs.
Half of UK motorists say they have reduced the amount of driving they do due to the
rising cost of fuel, while more than nine out of ten feel ripped off by the current
price of petrol and diesel. These are some of the findings of new research by car
insurance expert Admiral that illustrate how motoring costs
are affecting many drivers.
Admiral commissioned YouGov to survey 2,500 drivers as part of the annual Admiral
Survey of Motorists. The results reveal the impact fuel prices are having on
motorists, with 92% agreeing they feel ripped off by the current cost of fuel.
Sue Longthorn, Admiral managing director said: "With the average cost of a litre of
unleaded at £1.36 and diesel at £1.41, our research shows the depth of feeling
British motorists have about the high cost of fuel right now. And it seems high fuel
costs are actually affecting how much they drive, with 51% saying they've reduced
the amount of driving they do."
Admiral also asked motorists what percentage of the cost of fuel they believe is
made up of duty and tax and what percentage of it they think would be a fair amount.
On average, they believe 64% of the cost is made up of fuel duty and VAT, however
they think a fairer amount would be less than half that at 31%. Actually fuel duty
and VAT account for around 60% of the total price of petrol and diesel.
But it isn't just the cost of fuel that's affecting driving habits; other expenses
are having an impact too. 18% said they have ignored a fault or problem with their
car because of the cost of repairs. While 15% said they have cut back or stopped
servicing their car due to costs, and even more worrying, 8% said they have ignored
problems with their tyres due to the cost of replacing them.
Sue Longthorn continued: "It's a concern that some motorists are willing to drive
around with tyres not in the very best of condition. This could cause more serious
problems long term and could even cause them to have an accident."
Despite half of motorists admitting they have reduced the amount of driving they do
because of the cost of fuel, they do not expect the rising cost of motoring will
result in less traffic. Only 37% said they agreed it would result in fewer vehicles
on our roads, compared with 41% who didn't agree with this.
Notes to Editors:
The full 2011 Admiral Survey of Motorists will be released at the beginning of July.
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was
2,500 adults who have a drivers licence and at least one car in their household.
Fieldwork was undertaken between 6th and 9th May 2011. The survey was carried out
online.
About Admiral:
Admiral, (a trading name of EUI Ltd) launched in 1993, and is part of Admiral Group
plc. It was set up to target those motorists who traditionally pay higher than
average premiums, including those under-35, living in cities or driving hot hatches.
The Admiral Group employs over 4,000 people, has 2.75 million customers.
Admiral writes its motor insurance business to a consortium of insurers, these
being: Admiral Insurance Company Ltd, Admiral Insurance (Gibraltar) Limited and
Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) plc.
PR Contact:
Justin Beddows
Admiral
Capital Tower
Greyfriars Road
Cardiff
CF10 3AZ
029 2043 4333
www.admiral.com
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