A new survey says women are generally less proficient than men when it comes to basic car care such as changing a flat tire or checking the vehicle's oil level.
Insurance.com, a car insurance comparison website, surveyed 2,000 married American men and women with children in April and found that 88 per cent of men have changed a tire compared to only 47 per cent of women. One-third of women say they don't know how to do it, nor do 6 per cent of men.
The survey also found that only 60 per cent of all drivers aged 54 and younger said they had changed a tire, while 80 per cent of those aged 55 or older had.
"There was a time before cellphones when you had to know how to do these things," Des Toups, insurance.com's managing editor, said in a statement.
Other survey findings:
Checked the oil: men, 93 per cent; women, 78 per cent
Don't know how to check the oil: men, 4 per cent; women, 13 per cent
Checked tire's air pressure: men, 93 per cent; women, 76 per cent
Don't know how to check tire's air pressure: men, 4 per cent; women, 15 per cent
Have jump-started a car: men, 88 per cent; women, 65 per cent
Don't know how to jump-start a car: men, 7 per cent; women, 26 per cent
Ignored a vehicle's warning light: men, 68 per cent; women, 59 per cent
Imitated engine noises for a mechanic: men, 64 per cent; women, 57 per cent
Who they are most likely to call during a roadside emergency: 38 per cent of men would call roadside assistance while 31 per cent would call their spouse; 58 per cent of women would call their spouse while 27 per cent would call roadside assistance
If you have questions about driving or car maintenance, please contact our experts at globedrive@globeandmail.com.
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Darren McGee