Drivers will check their music – but not their tyres

Richard Aucock, Contributor
Wed, 06 Aug 2025

Drivers planning for a holiday getaway will spend longer choosing their road trip tunes than checking their tyres.

This is despite the average holiday getaway distance totalling more than 560 miles for UK trip – and a hefty 815 miles for European getaways.

The Kwik Fit research showed drivers will spend more than half an hour selecting their music, while one in six – that’s nearly five million drivers – won’t check their tyre pressures at all.

More than half also say they will happily spend an average of 22 minutes buying sweets and snacks for the car.

Meanwhile, travellers say they will take nearly half an hour to make sure their devices and those of their children are charged.

Other motoring checks are being ignored too, with nearly 30% saying they won’t check the coolant and more than one in five not checking their oil.

Screen wash and tyre tread depth are also being overlooked.

"While good music can make a journey more enjoyable, even the best-curated playlist isn’t going to keep a car running smoothly," says Kwik Fit operations director Dan Joyce.

"We recommend holidaymakers allocate enough time to make basic checks over their cars – especially considering the likelihood of experiencing very hot weather, either across the Channel or here. Checking tyres is even more important in the light of so many cars no longer having spare wheels," he added.

It’s not just the car itself that’s being ignored, revealed the research. A quarter of drivers taking their car abroad admitted they won’t check up-to-date driving regulations for their destination.

Alarmingly, 23% won’t make sure that their car insurance or breakdown policies cover them for the trip, either...

Ask HJ

Will reducing tyre pressures for a better ride mean more damage from potholes?

I drive a 1.4 Suzuki Vitara with the Continental tyres set at the higher Eco pressure setting for economy. This gives great miles per gallon on motorways, but on pot-holed roads around town the ride can be bumpy. I can reduce the tyre pressure to the lower Comfort setting, but would softer tyres be more likely to suffer damage from pot holes? Alternatively, is there another make of tyre that would give both good economy and a softer ride?

High tyre pressures reduce the likelihood of a puncture occurring from the tyre being pinched but also carry a potential higher risk of being punctured by a sharp edge or debris than a lower pressure, so there is no perfect pressure but a compromise between the two extremes is likely to give the best puncture resistance. You can use a retail website such as blackcircles.com to view a wide range of tyres in the required size which also shows the economy rating, but ride quality is typically determined by the aspect ratio or sidewall size of a tyre in relation to its overall size and tyre pressures. You may also wish to consider fitting smaller wheels, as these would typically have a taller sidewall for better ride quality and less width, which usually means lower rolling resistance and therefore better fuel economy.

Answered by David Ross

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