You best hope that you're considered attractive if you've broken down
Almost two-thirds of Brits wouldn't stop if they saw someone broken down - what ever happened to chivalry?
Breakdowns are a common occurrence on Britain's roads with three and a half million breakdowns being reported by The AA in 2010, with this number set to increase with another harsh winter on its way.
The research, carried out amongst 2,000 UK motorist, uncovered that of those who had broken down on Britain's roads, over half of people were left to struggle alone, with only one in ten reporting a woman stopping to help, in comparison to a third benefitting from male assistance on the side of the road.
The research, conducted by Castrol, demonstrated that we can be a very superficial bunch, with one in ten claiming that they would be more likely to stop to assist someone who was broken down if they thought they were attractive. The figure rises to 24 per cent for men. Luckily we aren’t all so shallow – almost half would stop to help if they felt the broken down individual appeared vulnerable or frail.
Hannah Waller, Castrol spokesperson said: “It’s unfortunately not surprising that more British motorists are concerned about stopping to help others in need when broken down on the side of the road nowadays, as safety is always a primary concern amongst both the stranded motorist and the individual offering assistance.
“To help ensure safety when driving, motorists should take care to try and reduce the risk of breaking down through always making sure they keep on top of their car maintenance. In particular the simplest of maintenance tasks can ensure you avoid preventable breakdowns, such as topping up your water and oil and checking tyre pressures regularly.”
Unsurprisingly, the subject of safety when broken down on the side of the road is a larger concern for females rather than males, with 27 per cent of women admitting to feeling unsafe when broken down compared to 18 per cent of men.
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