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Some 88 percent of Irish motorists have said that enough
has not been done to inform consumers about the new vehicle
registration tax (VRT) system, a recent survey shows.
The survey, carried out by online car parts retailer MicksGarage.ie
with 450 motorists, also revealed that just one in three motorists
(34 percent) are aware of the level of carbon emissions from
their vehicles.
The survey revealed that 78 percent of motorists check the
price of fuel in a filling station before choosing a petrol
station (15 percent said sometimes, 7 percent said never)
and 81 percent said that they worry about the price of fuel.
Ninety-two percent of respondents shop around and compare
prices before buying car parts and accessories - with 66 percent
of respondents saying that they request a breakdown of parts
and labour when they get a quote from their garage.
Twenty-five percent of drivers said that the daily running
cost is the most annoying aspect about driving in Ireland,
with the same percentage pointing to the condition of roads,
15 percent quoting ongoing road works, 13 percent said VRT,
9 percent said the cost of servicing and 7 percent qouting
road rage.
Fifty-six percent of respondents said that their commuting
time to work has increased in the past year, with one in three
motorists (32 percent) now spending more than two hours in
their cars each day - up from 23 percent in a similar survey
in 2006. Thirty-four percent spend between one and two hours
and 15 percent of motorists spend more than three hours in
their car each day.
Thirty-six percent of motorists who shop online said that
the main reason they shop over the internet is because it
allows them to shop around/do a price comparison (this was
up from 15 percent in a similar survey conducted in 2006).
On the issue of road safety, the survey revealed that more
than one in three drivers (38 percent) admitted to using their
mobile phone without a hands-free kit in the past month. Eighty-two
percent of drivers feel that random breath testing is a deterrent
to drink driving and half of all drivers surveyed said that
they believe Irish drivers have become more conscious of road
safety over the past year.
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