Over a third of drivers fail to check if their car has been involved in an accident – survey
Checking a vehicle’s history is vital and will save you any financial headaches in the long run.
Over a third of Britain’s drivers fail to check if their second-hand car has been involved in an accident.
Motor finance group, Close Brothers, surveyed 2,001 drivers about what they look at when purchasing a second-hand vehicle.
It found that 36 per cent of the drivers had admitted to not checking their vehicle for any accident damage or if the car had been involved in a previous shunt.
An additional 22 per cent failed to check the vehicle’s mileage and 37 per cent didn’t bother to look at whether the car has service history.
John Cassidy, managing director of sales at Close Brothers motor finance, said: “Carrying out simple tasks, such as checking the mileage, fuel economy, and service history of a vehicle, are quick and easy ways to ensure a car being purchased has less risk of becoming a financial ticking time bomb.”
A further 65 per cent of drivers consider price to be the biggest factor when purchasing a second-hand car. This was followed second by fuel costs at 44 per cent and then by road tax at 42 per cent.
Meanwhile, just 16 per cent think about regional charges such as the London Ulez zone and only 10 per cent don’t factor in anything specific when buying a used vehicle.
