MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM — (Marketwire) — 11/13/11 — Dashboard warning lights are driving motorists crazy with one in five revealing that they do not even know what the different symbols mean.
Swinton Insurance the UK-s largest high street retailer of surveyed 1,000 online customers and found that nearly a quarter (22%) were unsure what the different dashboard warning lights mean in their vehicle.
The survey asked motorists to identify various warning lights that would appear on a cars dashboard including symbols for Electric Power Steering, Engine Overheating and Tyre Pressure Monitor as well as others.
Not surprisingly, women had more trouble than men did when identifying the symbols, and older drivers were more clued up than their younger counterparts.
Motorists who are not the main driver of the car were most likely to be unable to identify the symbols and shockingly, just fewer than 10% said they had used their car for more than a week before investigating a lit warning light.
The survey also revealed that some motorist had trouble locating how to turn on the fog lights (8%) and rear window heater (6%).
Steve Chelton, Insurance Development Manager at Swinton said, “As cars become more complex the number of hazards lights that appear on a dashboard increases too so it is vital that motorists understand what each one means. If a warning light does appear, drivers should get it checked out immediately. Driving around with a fault may cause long-term damage to the car and may lead to unnecessary and costly claims.
About Swinton
Contacts:
SKV Communications
Mairead Rodden or Lucy Gordon
0161 838 7770