Many motorists are worried about having car troubles when undertaking long journeys, especially over the forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend.
Research from Europcar shows 44 per cent of drivers are concerned about breaking down, with only 12 per cent thinking to have their car servicing before heading out.
Men are likely to do the majority of driving on long trips, with 72 per cent of male motorists behind the wheel for most of the trip and only six per cent let their partner take over.
Robert Shaw, operations director at Europcar UK Group, explained: “Just one in five of the people we surveyed are covered by roadside assistance, which means they could be stuck on the hard shoulder this Bank Holiday weekend.
And, if government plans to convert the hard shoulder into traffic lanes go ahead, drivers could have even more to worry about.
“Our research revealed that the top three car checks before a long journey are fuel and tyres, followed by checking the windscreen wash.
Interestingly checking the engine oil is topped up came lower than checking the windscreen wash, despite people worrying about a breakdown."
He added 15 per cent of men believe a larger car would help make their trip easier and 17 per cent are in favour of taking out roadside cover before embarking on long journeys.