The Motor Ombudsman urges festival-goers to put safety first this summer

Its #SafeandSound initiative highlights the importance of being prepared before travelling to a live event

The Motor Ombudsman urges festival-goers to put safety first this summer

As the summer music festival season gets into full swing, a YouGov poll of 1,722 UK driving licence holders commissioned by The Motor Ombudsman has revealed that having to do vehicle maintenance checks before hitting the road to reach one of the many live venues across the country, may sound easier for some people than others.

Of the 56 percent (979) of those surveyed who said it would be likely they would take their own vehicle to a music festival if they had one, only around half (53 percent) said they would know how to check the tread depth of their tyres to ensure they were safe and above the minimum legal limit of 1.6mm.

Conversely, the findings equally showed that over two thirds of respondents who would opt for personal transport, would be comfortable topping up the tyre pressure to manufacturer-recommended levels according to the amount of people and luggage being carried load being carried (69 percent), replenishing the screenwash (70 percent), and adding engine oil if needed (62 percent).

Just under 10 percent of people who would make their way to a festival in a private vehicle, would either consult the car’s manual for instructions, or leave the responsibility of carrying out a safety inspection to a friend, family member or mechanic, before making their way to an event.

Furthermore, the research revealed that over a third (35 percent) said that breaking down with a mechanical or electrical issue would be front of mind if venturing to another part of the country in pursuit of musical performances, while one in three explained that forgetting something vital after they had left home, namely a phone charger, would be a source of anxiety.

Conversely, running out of power (if driving an EV) would be a factor that would spark the least amount of alarm at merely 17 percent of respondents, while 14 percent would simply set off worry-free and take everything in their stride.

In light of the results of the recent study, The Motor Ombudsman has launched its #SafeandSound
campaign to emphasise the importance of vehicle safety and being prepared when travelling to and from music festivals this summer.

As part of the initiative, the Ombudsman for the automotive sector has created a downloadable Motoring Tips guide for festival goers when venturing by car to an event, to help prepare for the journey ahead and avoid any unnecessary interruptions while on the move.

Bill Fennell, chief ombudsman and managing director at The Motor Ombudsman said: “It can be easy to
get wrapped up in the excitement of going to a festival, meaning vital preparations to ensure that a vehicle is safe and legal may fall by the wayside. ‘Safe and sound’ may be a play on words, but on a serious note, the campaign has been designed to communicate important messages, and put vehicle safety into the spotlight as part of the lead-up to enjoying live artist performances this summer.”

Bill added: “Our new #SafeandSound Motoring Tips complement our existing and comprehensive library
of vehicle maintenance and summer driving resources on our website, whilst serving as an easily
consulted aide-memoire for some of the essential checks, to allow motorists to start their journey on the
right note when heading off to one of the many music festivals across the UK.”

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