Kwik Fit holds free events as survey reveals 64% of women 'uncomfortable' visiting a car garage

New research* has revealed that nearly two-thirds of female motorists (64%) don’t feel comfortable about visiting a garage for repairs, servicing or car-checks – with a quarter (24%) saying that they avoid going to a garage on their own.

The research was carried out for Kwik Fit, the UK’s largest tyre and car repair company, and also revealed that a third (33%) of women drivers would like the knowledge to be able to deal with a motoring emergency, and the same proportion (32%) would like to be able to carry out basic car maintenance checks themselves. 

In response to these findings, Kwik Fit are holding two evening events they've called ‘’Love The Car You’re In’’, in Plymouth. These will be primarily aimed at women who want to learn a bit more about their car, and as a result, feel more comfortable if they ever need to go to a garage.  The events, which are free to attend, will take place at the Kwik Fit centres at 6.30pm on Tavistock Road and Union Street on Thursday 23nd May and Thursday 6th June respectively.

With 16% of motorists in the South West saying they find a visit to a car garage ‘intimidating’ and with almost one in five (18%) admitting they’d sooner turn to a friend or family member than a professional for vehicle repairs, the misconceptions about garages could well be putting their safety at risk.

To help drivers understand their cars, Paul Harkins, Centre Manager of Kwik Fit’s Tavistock Road centre, is inviting them to come to an event at which the Kwik Fit team can give them some tips on basic car maintenance, as well as answering any questions that the women may have.

Paul says:  “The general belief has long been that women are less mechanically minded than men, but our research showed us that many women in and around Plymouth want to learn more about their car.  We want them to feel more confident when they need to go to a garage and that’s why we are holding the “Love The Car You’re In’’ evenings.”

The event is free to attend and will provide useful information and advice on areas such as oil, coolant, tyres, brakes and electrics.

The ‘‘Love The Car You’re In’’ evenings will take place at 6.30pm on 23 May at Tavistock Rd, Plymouth PL5 3DG  and on 20 June at 79-81 The Octagon, Union Street, Plymouth, PL1 3NB and will include light refreshments and a free goody bag.

To book places at the Tavistock centre, please contact Paul Harkins on 01179 533776, or for the Union Street centre please contact Clive Harkin on 01752 667397.

Paul Harkins concludes: “The purpose of the events is not to teach everyone how to fit an exhaust or strip a gearbox, but to help people save money by learning some simple car maintenance that they can do themselves.  On top of that, we want to make sure that visiting any one of our centres is as stress-free as possible for customers. We realise that most drivers would prefer not to have to go to a garage, but if they do have to come in, we want to make sure they are as comfortable as possible.”

*Research carried out by ICM Research amongst a nationally representative sample of 2,024 adults.