Car spending 'more than holidays'

NEARLY HALF of drivers in the UK spend more disposable income on their car than anything else, according to a survey.

Spending on cars (47%) easily outweighs the amount spent on holidays (21%) and socialising with friends (13%), the poll from Halfords Autocentres showed.

But the survey also found that 10% of drivers were cutting back on car maintenance to save money.

Of those cutting back, 41% placed the reliability and safety of their car last in their list of motoring concerns, while almost 60% did not service their cars according to manufacturer guidelines, and 43% admitted only replacing tyres when they were at or below the legal minimum.

Rory Carlin from Halfords Autocentres said: "Despite a rise in personal earnings, stable inflation and fuel prices that are at a three-year low, drivers feel that they are already paying a high enough price for their motoring and are unwilling to spend more on anything they feel is unnecessary.

"However, car maintenance isn't just necessary, it is essential, and we have uncovered some shocking admissions that are likely to be a hangover from the recession."

By Ben Mackay, Press Association