Modern Men and Motoring

By Tim Barnes-Clay On June 15, 2012

MODERN MEN still rely on dad to carry out the most basic jobs on the house and car, it was revealed this week.

The findings emerged in a study of 2,000 people and show that men aged 18 to 30 struggle with relatively simple tasks, such as changing spark plugs, laying carpet or jump starting the car.

In contrast, dads aged 45+ would think nothing of getting under the car bonnet to fix a problem, or embarking on a bit of DIY around the house.

But a quarter of today’s young men would happily call dad for help if the car broke down, while a fifth rely heavily on him for advice on jobs in the home.

A spokesman for breakdown company GEM Motoring Assist, who conducted the study, said: “Today’s generations are unable to carry out jobs which their fathers would be able to do with their eyes closed.

“We’re not sure whether this absence of knowledge is down to a lack of time, work commitments, or simply a disinterest in knowing more.

“Certainly it seems more commonplace for men of today to rely on outside help for any household, gardening or car related tasks – whether it be dad, tradesmen or other professionals.

“And perhaps it is better to ask for help rather than making things up and risking a costly repair job.”

The poll shows that 79 per cent of young men can’t wallpaper a wall, 54 per cent are unable to put up a shelf, and just a third can hang a picture on the wall.

When it comes to their motor, men are just as useless:

Only three in 10 can replace the oil in their own car, more than half wouldn’t have the first clue about how to change a tyre, and 59 per cent don’t even know how to replace the windscreen wipers.

In contrast, fathers aged 45+ are more than proficient at almost all the household, DIY and car related tasks.
Eighty five per cent of men aged 45+ would easily be able to wire a plug, compared to just forty per cent of youngsters.

Similarly, four in five men of the older category can test car tyre pressure, three-quarters are comfortable using the washing machine and 58 per cent could easily fix a door lock.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the results, 77 per cent of men aged 18 to 30 admit they don’t know nearly as much about car maintenance as their dads do.

And 75 per cent are far more clueless than their dads about DIY and household upkeep.

When asked why they are unable to tinker with the car or repair the house, 44 per cent of young men cite a lack of time, a quarter simply prefer to ask dad, and two thirds prefer to call in the professionals.

David Williams of GEM Motoring Assist, comments: “We’re not surprised at these results as we frequently receive calls from dads about the fact that their son or daughter has broken down, rather than the young drivers calling themselves.

“The survey shows that between the two generations there is a real difference in approach to getting things like DIY and car maintenance done.

“The research could be a sign for the modern man to step up and take on a more ‘can-do’ approach, as their dads would.”

PERCENTAGE OF MEN WHO CAN:

	Men aged	Men aged
	18-30	45+

Change a car tyre	46%	71%

Replace oil in the car	31%	55%

Fill the car with petrol	62%	85%

Change the spark plugs on the car	20%	55%

Replace windscreen wipers on the car	42%	72%

Test the car tyre pressure	53%	83%

Fill up the windscreen wash	54%	83%

Put up a shelf	46%	74%

Change a fuse	50%	86%

Change a light bulb	65%	85%

Hang a picture	57%	84%

Wallpaper a wall	22%	58%

Bake a cake	46%	45%

Wire a plug	42%	85%

Lay carpet	14%	39%

Lay laminate flooring	16%	31%

Work the washing machine	56%	74%

Lay decking in the garden	13%	37%

Turf a lawn	22%	50%

Seed a lawn	33%	65%

Fix a door lock	27%	58%

Change a door handle	27%	73%

Jump start the car	32%	71%

Put up a tent	56%	68%

Tune a television	63%	81%