Treading lightly: Almost 8 million Aussies can’t change a tyre
Changing a tyre could become an endangered life skill, according to new research by Finder.
A Finder survey of 1,071 respondents revealed more than 1 in 3 (37%) Australians don't know how to change a flat tyre.
That's almost 8 million Australians who can't perform the once vital roadside repair.
Twice as many men (84%) can change a tyre compared to women (42%).
The ability to change a flat is dying out with each generation – 84% of baby boomers know how to change a tyre, followed by 65% of gen X, 53% of gen Y and 49% of gen Z.
The research revealed NSW residents are the least likely to know how to change a tyre – with only 57% saying they can, compared to 70% of Queenslanders.
Gary Ross Hunter, insurance expert at Finder, said many are not prepared to fix a flat tyre on their own.
"Aussies are quicker to rely on online resources for troubleshooting, or professional services, instead of tackling the issue themselves.
"Caught in peak hour traffic, plenty would be stuck if they needed to fix the issue themselves."
Hunter said it's not as common to fix things yourself anymore, with manual tasks like car maintenance being outsourced.
"While it's handy to know how to change a flat tyre, it's always better to be safe than risk injuring yourself or further damaging your car.
"Having roadside assistance can act as a safety net if you get stranded because of an issue with your car including a flat battery, running out of fuel, a flat tyre and getting locked out of the car."
Finder research shows 61% of Australians have roadside assistance.
Hunter said roadside assistance can be purchased as a standalone product or as an add-on to car insurance.
"Many car insurance providers will offer roadside assistance as an inclusion or optional extra in their comprehensive car insurance policies.
"It generally works out much cheaper to have that cover up front as a precaution than to sign up on the spot when you find yourself with a flat tyre on the side of the road," Hunter said.
| Do you know how to change a tyre on a car? | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 63% |
| No | 37% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,071 respondents, April 2024 |
Methodology
- Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 60,000 respondents.
- Figures in this release are based on 1,071 respondents from April 2024.
- The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics, an SAP company.
- The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.
You can get roadside assistance for as little as $6 a month.
Do you know how to spell “tire”. LMAO
Hi Cathie, In Australia the spelling is tyre, in the United States its spelt tire.