From the BBC Site:
Student cars are a 'danger'
Cars owned by students in the London are an accident waiting to happen, according to a new survey.
The Nationwide Autocentre Student Survey shows that 32% of students never carry out safety checks and 18% never get their car serviced.
But the survey, which eight universities took part in, also found that 14% of students considered driving a poorly maintained car more dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol.
And they rated driving while using a mobile phone as the least dangerous.
Tom Dunn, managing director of the motor servicing company, said: "These results are a cause for grave concern.
"There seems to be a real lack of awareness when it comes to car maintenance and servicing which is surprising given that the lack of maintenance results in very big repair bills and accidents.
This could equally apply to many 'mature motorists'.....
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Hmm.
Well, I'm 18 and approaching Uni and I don't drive a poorly maintained car. I bet they claim it's too expensive to get the cars checked / serviced / fixed etc.
I do my own services, which usually average around £30-40 with oil, filters, etc. Kwik Fit etc will check brakes and suspension etc for free so no excuse there.
Driving a poorly maintained car is not only dangerous to the driver, other road users can suffer. Even on the motorway you occasionally get the prat with clouds of white smoke pouring out of his car and he continues driving. Two weeks ago, I narrowly missing getting a wheel through the windscreen that had come off an ancient Metro.
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With the risk of sounding like a an old giffer at my tender age I do think that with student debt raising to approx £20,000 on average that a car is perhaps a luxury that most students should well do without.
Surely public transport can suffice for most people's University years? Even if better off students can afford to run cars most University accomodation and student areas are well served by public transport and the costs of running a car could be put to much better use. (Partying, foreign travel, sport, politics, whatever)
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I went to Uni, got student loans, worked part time, then bought a Saxo to match the several dozen others in the uni car park.
Busses are dreadful and no use when you want to get home and do your study (or read HJ's site).
Why should I wait 50 minutes to catch a bus that should run every 15 mins?
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"Cars owned by students in the London are an accident waiting to happen, according to a new survey.
The Nationwide Autocentre Student Survey shows that 32% of students never carry out safety checks and 18% never get their car serviced."
And if they had surveyed the general motoring population would it be any different? I am amazed by the number of cars at the moment that seem to have only one tail-light/stoplight/headlight. If they can't be bothered to replace a bulb do they check tyres/have car serviced etc? And judging from the number of people who drive with a phone stuck to their ear, students aren't the only ones who consider it "safe". Many students take a great pride in their car - it is often their first and they look after it better than they do their aged parents!! (Or even "than do their aged parents" if you see what I mean!). I much preferred both my children to have their own car while students. Public transport isn't cheap even with student discounts and certainly isn't reliable and not always accessible. Do you want your 18 year old daughter to be walking home late at night often to accommodation in the less salubrious areas of the inner city? Or would you prefer her to have her car (assuming she is not a drink and driver of course!). Give students a break, the majority are sensible and work hard for their degree and it's bad enough starting working life with a £10,000 debt let alone being told they are not responsible enough to own a car. Would you have liked someone to say you can't have a car 'til you are 22 or did you want a car as soon as you were 17?
I'm getting to be a candidate for that "Grumpy old Git " TV show - as my wife said "Only a one hour programme? - you do 24 hours a day 7 days a week!"
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