A new report by LV= Britannia Rescue warns of a possible surge in flat car battery cases in the next few weeks due to falling driver activity.
The auto insurance provider said that this lack of driving activity is due to two significant factors – the second pandemic lockdown, and an expected spate of cold weather.
LV= Britannia Rescue cited data from the previous lockdown period (which ran from mid-March to early July), wherein battery-related breakdowns were up almost 30% compared to the same period in 2019. The company also noted that by the end of April 2020, home call-outs for broken-down cars averaged 63% of all breakdowns during that week, compared to just 37% in the previous weeks.
“Suffering a flat battery can happen to any car, particularly at this time of year, but it usually happens when it hasn’t been driven for a period of time, or only gone on short journeys when the battery and engine haven’t warmed up sufficiently,” said LV= Britannia Rescue managing director Henry Topham.
Breakdowns related to batteries are typically very common around the winter season, LV= Britannia Rescue explained in a release. The firm stated that in 2019, there were 38% more breakdowns during the months of November and December compared to the non-winter months of April to October. Combined with the second pandemic lockdown, the company is expecting this winter’s breakdown count to be even more significant.
“The introduction of a second lockdown, and the combination of cold days and dark afternoons and evenings, means lots of cars may end up sitting on the street or the drive for large parts of the next month,” Topham added. “You don’t want to be in a situation where you urgently need to get somewhere and the car won’t start, so it’s really important to keep an eye on your vehicle and try to keep it ticking over.”
