WAYNE, N.J.—The majority of American car owners leave regular car care obligations, such as registration and safety inspections, until the last minute or past the recommended timeframe.
That's according to research deduced from Wayne-based Hankook Tire America Corp.'s recent “Fall Gauge Index.”
No. 1 on the list of neglected service obligations is tire rotation, Hankook said, with one-third of drivers saying they leave it to the last minute.
On the bright side, however, 69 percent of those surveyed said they get their oil changed at the recommended service interval.
Overall, the Fall Gauge Index revealed that 57 percent of American drivers neglect their car care obligations, Hankook said.
While only 14 percent of drivers admitted to not leaving a note if they ding someone's car, 86 percent of drivers reported they have had their car damaged by others when parked—and they did not get a note from the perpetrator.
The survey found that 77 percent of drivers make sure they fill their fuel tank before or immediately after their gas light goes on.
“Our quarterly Hankook Tire Gauge Index provides unique insight into how American drivers act on and off the road,” said Henry Kopacz, Hankook's public relations and social media manager.
“While it is great to see that many Americans are being mindful of their routine maintenance, it is also important to be more aware of their fellow drivers on and off the road.”
Hankook's top tips to drivers to be responsible on the road include filling their fuel tanks regularly; changing their vehicles' oil; rotating their tires; and choosing the correct tires.
The Hankook Tire Gauge Index survey of 1,008 randomly selected Americans was conducted Sept. 19-22 by Vision Critical on behalf of Hankook.
Additional statistics from Hankook's survey include:
c 81 percent of Americans know what kind of shoes they are wearing, but only 64 percent know what kind of tires are on their vehicle.
c 67 percent of American drivers consider themselves “excellent” or “good” parallel parkers; 83 percent of males said they are “excellent” or “good,” and 51 percent of females said they are “excellent” or “good.”
c 84 percent of American drivers said they have been in at least one car-related accident. Fifty-four percent said that the accident was their fault, with males comprising 60 percent of those at fault and females comprising 47 percent.