One of Victoria’s leading roadside assistance services is reporting as many as 40 per cent of callouts for breakdowns come from drivers ignoring dashboard warnings.
In another sign that the safety technology is only of value to avoid crashes and breakdowns if driver respond to it, the RACV is reporting a high rate of ignoring the warning lights before it is too late.
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Lead motoring body and insurer, the RACV wants motorists to familiarise themselves with their vehicle’s dashboard warning lights and act on them to avoid expensive repairs and potential safety hazards.
Only last week, the RACV highlighted the number of people failing to wear seatbelts despite most modern vehicles have warning alerts and the surge in crash fatalities as a result.
Costly delays
RACV Driver Education and Development Manager Silvia Morris said drivers regularly ignore the warning lights and don’t understand what the symbols mean or the severity of the issues they indicate.
“Dashboard lights are your car’s way of communicating potential problems before they become serious,” Morris.
“Understanding these warnings can be the difference between a minor repair and a complete engine replacement,” Morris says.
“When a warning light appears, it’s because a sensor has detected something operating outside normal parameters.”
The most critical warning lights include the check engine light, oil pressure indicator, battery warning, and brake system alerts.
RACV roadside assistance data, ignoring these warnings accounts for approximately 40 per cent of all major breakdown callouts, it reported.
Drive school
“We understand that seeing a warning light can cause anxiety for drivers,” Morris says.
“RACV’s Drive School focuses not only on skills to help drivers be safe on the road but we also go through skills like basic car maintenance checks to help drivers understand what their car is telling them and make informed decisions about when professional help is needed.”
RACV has developed a guide to the 14 most important dashboard symbols that drivers should never ignore, including red warning lights that require immediate attention.
RACV’s guide advises drivers on the warning lights and advice on what action to take, whether it is pulling over immediately or scheduling a service.
It also notes RACV Emergency Roadside Assistance providers are equipped to perform diagnostic tests when warning lights appear and can often resolve minor issues on the spot.
Find the guide here