A recent survey by consumer research company Canstar about Kiwi car tyre habits has unearthed some dangerous behaviours from our Gen Ys. Gen Ys are taking more risks when it comes to their tyres, with 40% being aware of the risks of driving on incorrectly inflated or bald tyres, but doing it anyway, says Canstar general manager, Jose George.
“Close to a third of the younger generation are also more willing to fork out their hard earned cash on a great pair of shoes than they are on a good set of tyres (32 percent), showing just how easy it is to prioritise the things we want over the ‘boring’ things that can keep us safe.
“But when it is time to lock in a tyre purchase, New Zealanders are overwhelmingly (79 percent) in support of safety over price when deciding on which tyres to buy, even Gen Ys at 77 percent.
“This is most likely due to the fact that more than a third (36 percent) of Kiwis have been in/or have been fearful of, an accident when driving with old or worn tyres, making safety important.” Wellingtonians (83 percent) and Aucklanders (78 percent) are the most safety conscious of the regions, checking the condition of their tyres before heading off on a long road trip.
Close to three quarters of Kiwis feel confident that they can change a tyre on the side of the road if need be, but just 67 percent of Gen Ys share that confidence. And Gen Ys are the generation most likely to have called road side assistance to change a car tyre for them (19 percent).
Gen Ys are the least knowledgeable when it comes to their car tyres, with 55 percent stating that they don’t know how to tell if they are getting a good deal or not compared to 35 percent of Baby Boomers who are more switched onto tyre bargains.
More than a quarter of the New Zealanders (27 percent) have purchased cheap, low quality tyres and regretted it, says George. “This shows how important it is to be informed in the best ways to put safety first. You can visit sites such as tyresafe.org for more advice.
Overall, Kiwis are not especially skilled at parallel parking as 56 percent admit to scratching their wheel rims while trying to slip into a parallel spot. Wellingtonians (61 percent) are the most likely of the regions to have a spot of trouble with their parallel parking.
The survey asked respondents to rate their car tyre brand across seven categories:
• Value for money 2 Warranty 3 Life of tyre 4 Handling 5 Noise 6 Quality of tyres 6 Overall satisfactions. “This year, Bridgestone has walked away with the top honours for overall consumer satisfaction, achieving five stars in every category. Value for money was the number one driver of satisfaction for car tyres customers (28 percent) and Bridgestone was the only brand to score five stars in this category”, says George.
