Telegraph
HereDavid Williams - Telegraph wrote:
Help! I can't unlock my holiday hire car
Driving on the 'wrong' side of the road is a cinch compared with getting to grips with a 'strange' car on holiday.
By David Williams
Published: 11:28AM BST 21 Jul 2010
(Photo - worthy for the Caption Competition !)
Hire car stranded at sea
Hire car mishaps: suddenly not being able to work the petrol filler cap didn't seem to matter... Photo: PA
A new survey has revealed that around one third of holidaymakers come to grief with the basic operation of hire cars, with problems ranging from opening the petrol cap to getting into the car in the first place.
According to Kwik-Fit, around 900,000 travellers from the UK have encountered difficulties after being handed the keys to their cars abroad, after flying in from the UK.
Ian Fraser, chief executive at Kwik-Fit says: "The controls in a car can differ hugely from one manufacturer to another – and sometimes even between models of the same manufacturer. We see over four million cars each year so have experience of dealing with a wide range of problems. As a result we've assembled a wealth of knowledge and are happy to share this with any motorist who has a question about controls or operation."
Despite younger motorists' reputation for being more comfortable with technology, the survey says they appear to be less intuitive than their older counterparts. A total of 48 per cent of 18-34 year-olds have had difficulties with hire cars compared to 27 per cent aged 35-64. Even those over retirement age are more capable than younger drivers, with one third of those over 65 having encountered problems.
Kwik-Fit points out that as cars have advanced, controls have become more complex, with individual models having their own quirks and foibles leading to "embarrassment at airports" as holidaymakers stumble over basic problems.
The top ten problems that trip tourists up are: opening the petrol cap (47pc), finding the light controls (31pc), opening the boot (24pc), operating the windows or mirrors (19pc), working the in-car entertainment (19pc), starting the car (18pc), adjusting the seats (17pc), working the heating or cooling system (8pc), finding the handbrake (6pc), unlocking the car doors (4pc).
I found on one car that the locked fuel cap was not shown to me and it took a fair few 'moments' to find it !
My current hire car I checked various obvious points
before leaving !
I find more annoying is the smart indicators ... now I dare say one might become tuned in with them but at the moment the mistakes I make are going to cancel them and then accidentally putting on the opposite one - I find that so annoying as it indications an intention that is not intended at all ! Whilst I try to be really careful, one intuitively 'indicates' (they are at least on the right (left) side of the steering wheel - for me with what I am used to. And this is it what we are used to helps massively, although not the whole issue. In some ways having them opposite creates other dangers like not indicating early enough but at least the new operation using the 'other' hand has to be 'learned' and then might help with how the operation is executed.
The worst and most obvious real dangers lye with the performance or (serious) lack of it in some cases.
I always go through various steps to feel the handling and the 'power' available, so that I can adjust the concept of possible car manoeuvres that I can expect to perform or not, as also with the current case. They (in this case the hire company via the AA) are meant to ensure that you have a vehicle approximate to your own cars performance - within reason, but my current 1.4 Vauxhall Astra is just gutless. It is a nearly brand new car (2K on clock) and I prefer my older car by miles, what does that say about new technology ? I appreciate that it is a 'cheap' run about, except that they are far from cheap to buy. Although 'cheap' does depend on your financial capabilities or expectation of value for money. Even for a 10K price tag I would expect moderate performance. It does teach me when I see new cars, what they driver can and cannot do which is very helpful !
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