The survey published by Aviva Insurance also found that younger rural drivers who drive diesel are more likely to service their cars every six months, while middle aged men are more likely to service their cars based on mileage.

The survey found that 71 per cent of women have their cars serviced once a year, while the figure for men was around 61 per cent. Men are more likely to have tyres checked for tread depth and pressure, while more men – about one fifth – checked fluid levels on a weekly basis.

There’s few things more annoying and more dangerous for other road users than faulty lights so it is worrying that only a quarter of those surveyed check lights on a monthly basis. Interesetingly, rural drivers and diesel owners were more likely to do this than Dublin petrol heads.

While many of us are still driving old bangers,  most new cars have safety features that we used to l ive without and two in five respondents said their cars had safety equipment that they didn’t have on previous cars. Parking assist and cruise control topped the list.

De-iceing equipement was the most popular safty item bought by motorists to have in the car, while hazard warning triangles and torches were also popular. Surprisingly, hi-vis jackets were not as commonly bought.

The take-away from the survey, however, was the suggestion that many of us simply don’t bother checking our cars to make sure they are safe on the roads. Obviously that is the key function of MOTs but the statutory requirement shouldn’t absolve motorists from taking responsibiliy for the safety of themselves and other road users.