Peter Lyon
July 21, 2025
British holidaymakers are being advised to ensure they prioritise their preparation before getting into their car for summer holiday journeys.
New research shows that this summer, those using their own car for UK holidays will travel an average of 563 miles, while those heading overseas in their car will typically cover 815 miles. Meanwhile, American motorists as it turns out also travel an average of around 570 miles, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Only around 5% will travel over 1000 miles.
The research, carried out for Kwik Fit, the UK’s leading automotive servicing and repair company, revealed how people plan to prepare for their journeys. The findings carry a warning – they show that when it comes to preparing for all those miles, many drivers are spending more time poring over Spotify or rifling through their CD collection than making vital checks on their car or planning their journey.
One in six (16%) holidaymakers travelling by car won’t check their tyre pressures – but many will still find time to prepare a travel playlist or select their snacks. Of the 4.9million Brits admitting that they won’t ensure their tyres are correctly inflated before setting off, nearly a third (30%) say they will instead spend time choosing the music for their journey, picking their tunes for an average of 36 minutes. 55% will spend an average of 22 minutes buying their sweets and snacks for the car.
Not only are tyre pressures being overlooked, other simple but essential checks are even more likely to be neglected. Despite the growing probability of high temperatures, over a quarter of holidaymakers (28%) won’t check their coolant. More than one in five (22%) won’t ensure they have sufficient oil. Almost as many (19%) won’t make sure their screen wash is topped up, while 22% won’t spend any time checking their tyre tread.
Kwik Fit’s research also found that checks which are particularly relevant to overseas car trips are being missed. A quarter (25%) of people taking their own car abroad say they won’t check the up to date driving regulations for their destination while almost as many (23%) won’t make sure that their insurance or breakdown policies cover them for the trip.
Aside from looking at vehicle checks, the research found how people plan to get ready for the road. Among all those using their own cars for holiday journeys, the average time spent preparing music will be 22 minutes. The typical holidaymaker will spend the same amount of time (22 mins) choosing their sweets or snacks.
On average, holiday travellers will take 25 minutes to prepare sandwiches or a packed lunch and 22 minutes buying or preparing drinks. 28 minutes will be spent by people making sure their devices, and those of their children, are charged.
While ensuring a comfortable journey inside the car is important, it should not be at the expense of vital checks. Dan Joyce, operations director at Kwik Fit, says: “While good music can make a journey more enjoyable, even the best curated playlist isn’t going to keep a car running smoothly. We recommend holidaymakers allocate enough time to make basic checks over their cars – especially considering the likelihood of experiencing very hot weather, either across the Channel or here in the UK.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
Yes, spending 20-30 minutes preparing drinks and sandwiches and music is important, but authorities strongly recommend that motorists take as much time, if not twice that, to check tyre pressures, as well as your spare tyre, and fluids like coolant, oil and screen wash when planning trips of over 200 miles. Also, have plenty of water on board.
