THE CONDITION OF cars have deteriorated most in Co Cavan, followed by Kildare, according to an AA Membership poll of over 20,300 people.
Over 50 per cent of participants of the poll also believe that the condition of Irish cars is worse now than they were last year.
The results correspond with the AA that has seen a five per cent increase in the number of call-outs to assist motorists in the first five months of this year compared to 2012.
“People aren’t getting their cars serviced as often as they should. Older cars need a lot more looking after and without a regular service, they are likely to breakdown,” said AA Patrol Supervisor John Merriman.
Parts of the car that need to be checked regularly include the tyres, brake pads, clutches and fuel filters, and these are the issues that the AA gets the most call-outs for.
“A lot of this is to do with wear and tear” said John Merriman. “Having worn tyres, brake pads or a damaged clutch, can be very dangerous. All of these things need to be checked by a qualified mechanic.”
The figures show the motorists are holding onto their cars rather than buying new ones.
New car sales have fallen 15.7 per ceny in the first three months of this year compared to 2012. New car registrations fell by about 10 per cent in Dublin but the car sales industry has been hit hardest in Leitrim, Roscommon, Offaly and Longford where registrations dropped by 30 per cent.
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