Fuel costs still major concern despite recent price cuts

According to a research study by leading vehicle re-marketing firm BCA, fuel costs continue to be a premier concern for motorists, despite many leading supermarkets dropping pump prices at their outlets. The results showed that 75% of motorists cited fuel as their major concern, while over 33% were dismayed that the government was not taking any action to control fuel prices. The study involved over 700 used car buyers.

One is five drivers are particularly dismayed by the rising cost of driving cars on a daily basis. 75% of the drivers polled were found to use their cars on a daily basis as a means of getting to and from work. The top five leading concerns for motorists were found to be the price of fuel, the cost of road tax, the rising insurance premiums, the high cost of maintaining and servicing vehicles, and the increasing costs of parking.

The research showed that motorists are coming up with ingenious ways of countering the rising costs of motoring by using their cars for essential errands. 29% of the drivers only use their cars to take the kids to school, shop, go to work, etc. 50% use their vehicle for non essential travel, with 23% preferring to use public means, and 23% opting to walk.

Other drivers have opted to only buy the fuel that they need, as opposed to filling up the tank. This is one way of saving money and ensuring that the car is used for essential travel only. 25% of the drivers use the Internet to look for filling stations that offer the lowest fuel prices.

The BCA research has shown that some drivers have opted to trade-in their current vehicles and buy fuel efficient ones. 15% of those polled said that they had already done so, with 20% saying that they have changed to diesel-powered vehicles in order to reduce fuel costs.