Strathclyde Tyres Blog

What do motorists get up to in the car when alone behind the wheel?  One third of drivers sing in the car, while 23% just get lost in their thoughts, according to a recent AA/Populus poll.

Singing in the car seems to be a trend amongst the young which declines with age, as 60% of 18-to-24-year-olds sing in the car compared to just 13% of over 65s. There are more car singers in Scotland and the East Midlands than any other part of the country.

Over 80% of UK motorists admit to being misled by their Sat Navs, with misleading directions causing over £203 million in car damage in the past year, according to new research from Confused.com.

The price comparison service reveals that a staggering 83% of British drivers have admitted to being misled by their Sat Navs, resulting in over half the country (52%) screaming at their devices. Sixty-eight percent of the drivers end up doing longer journeys and clock up unnecessary miles as a result.

New research reveals that 43% of ‘designated’ drivers do not believe that the alcohol contained in popular Christmas puddings counts towards their drink-drive limit and almost three quarters (72%) do not ask their host about the alcohol content.

The study, by esure car insurance, found that an average serving of Christmas pudding contains almost half a unit of alcohol, while many popular seasonal favourites contain up to 0.88 per serving.

Sixty-two percent of young male novice drivers think they are more skilful than the average driver, according to the Institute of Advanced Motoring’s latest report, 'The fast and the curious: young people’s attitudes to driver training'. Only 32% of young women drivers say the same.

Young novice drivers are the highest risk group on our roads, and male drivers between 17-29 are more than twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured as young female drivers, says the road safety charity. Thirty percent of car occupant fatalities are drivers aged 17-24, or passengers of a driver aged 17-24, yet this age group makes up only eight percent of all driving licence holders.

A study of Indiana drivers shows heightened risk of serious injury and death for men 45 and older driving on snow and ice, women driving on rain-slick highways, and younger men driving on dry roadways.

The study, by researchers at Purdue University, Indiana, reveals that men younger than 45 showed a 21% higher likelihood of severe injury while driving on dry roads than on wet roads, and a 72% higher likelihood of severe injury on a dry road than on snowy and icy roads.