Second car an expendable luxury as fuel dictates family outgoings
Spiralling fuel costs forced one in six families to sell their second car in 2011.
Tyre maker Bridgestone UK’s survey of 2,000 families also found that more could follow suit with over nine out of ten families seriously thinking about slimming down to a one car household in a bid to limit outgoings.
Almost seven in ten admitted to using the car less while nearly half said they couldn’t afford to fill up, which probably isn’t advisable if you’re a bit skint due to the weight of the fuel. Anyway.
Andy Dingley, Marketing Manager for Bridgestone UK, said: “Rising fuel prices mean that a large proportion of the family wage is spent purely on things like petrol, gas and electricity. But with prices increasing faster than the rate of people’s incomes, families are having to make extremely difficult decisions.
“The balancing act for a family nowadays does not leave much room for manoeuvre financially which can have a knock on effect on people’s peace of mind.
“This affects every part of people’s lives – including how and when they drive.”
Almost half of respondents revealed that they had thought about buying a car that uses alternative fuels while two thirds said they would consider electric cars.
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