British drivers as a whole spend an astounding amount of £21.1 billion a year on servicing and repairing their cars, according to a new report by the SMMT. This is one the highest figures per person in the world.
This suggests that British cars are amongst the glossiest in the world, which is predominantly good news for safety and emissions.
This has the cheerful benefit of less cars on the road that are in a bad state of disrepair. When such grotty-looking cars are spotted, they stand out, looking a bit like hungry beasts.
With 42,500 service and repair garages in the UK, motorists are spoilt for choice and the SMMT calculates that 345,000 British jobs are sustained by looking after the 30 million-plus cars that cover the roads of Britain.
The Importance of the Aftermarket to the UK Economy report states that this produces £12.2 billion for the UK economy.
This number will only increase as more cars are regularly being sold new, and will all need looking after. The SMMT statistics predict that the UK aftermarket’s value will be £28 billion by 2022 as well as employ 400,000 people.
There has certainly not been a better time to be a skilled vehicle technician.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “The UK’s aftermarket is one of the most competitive in the world and plays a critical role in keeping Britain’s 30 million-plus cars roadworthy.”
He added: “Robust competition and a strong independent sector have helped reduce the cost of vehicle ownership in the UK and provided greater choice to consumers.”
