Avoid the Bank Holiday Breakdown Blues

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As the August bank holiday approaches, Green Flag Motoring Assistance is gearing up for an inevitably busy weekend, and offers motorists some timely advice to avoid having a breakdown or getting in a jam.

Last August bank holiday Green Flag responded to almost 15,000 calls for help, mostly caused by battery problems and minor accidents. The busiest time was between 9am and 10am on Tuesday August 31, when Green Flag attended over 300 incidents in just one hour as people returned to work.

Melanie Denny from Green Flag said: "The August bank holiday is a popular time for family car trips, but bank holiday weekends are also renowned for long tailbacks and congested roads that lead to fraying tempers and tearful children. A bit of careful preparation and an early start can go a long way to avoiding the bank holiday horrors that leave some families crying on a hard shoulder."

The majority of breakdowns are caused by poor car maintenance, and a few checks before setting off can minimise the risk of any motoring mishaps that could scupper a fun family day out. Green Flag recommends checking the following before setting off on a long journey:

• Have the car battery checked at a local garage, as battery problems are the number one cause of breakdowns
• Check the tyre pressure and tread depth. The minimum legal limit is 1.6mm.
• Ensure all lights are working inside and outside the car, and give external ones a clean to ensure good visibility
• Check the oil and water and top up if necessary
• Make sure the screen washer bottle is topped up
• Check wiper blades are in good condition with no tears or cracks
• Fill up the fuel tank and keep an eye on the gauge to ensure there is enough fuel for the journey.

Denny said: "It's a good idea to keep some toys or books in the car on long journeys to keep children entertained and stop them from distracting the driver."

Motorists embarking on long distance journeys this bank holiday are advised to avoid the busiest times to travel between 10am and 12 noon, and check the local travel news to keep abreast of any last minute hiccups. Drivers heading off to unfamiliar places can plan their route using a free online routeplanner at www.greenflag.com.



Research Material:

• Green Flag Motoring Assistance provides roadside rescue and recovery to almost 5m customers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• Many join through unique partnership arrangements with some of the UK's largest businesses and organisations.
• Green Flag's incident management centre in Leeds handles around 1m calls each year.
• On average Green Flag reaches customers within 39 minutes (verified by 218,461 customer questionnaires received May 2003 - April 2004).
• Green Flag customers give the service a 98 per cent satisfaction rating (based on the results of questionnaires sent to 500,000 customers).
• Customers have access to a national network of independent recovery agents and 6,000 qualified technicians.
• More than 90 per cent get assistance within the hour.

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