Mobility solutions specialist, easytrip, Ireland’s only electronic parking and tolling tag provider, has revealed that over a third of Irish motorists tidy out and clean their car once a month, with Saturday being the most popular day of the week for washing their vehicle.

Top items found in car

When it comes to car clutter, the following items were revealed as the most typically found in Irish motorists vehicles:

  1. Empty plastic bottles / soft drink cans
  2. Loose change / old receipts
  3. Children’s toys or books
  4. Discarded car parking tickets
  5. Sports equipment
  6. Food wrappers / discarded or old food
  7. Documents for the office

Interestingly, over a quarter of the easytrip survey respondents revealed that they would not let passengers eat and drink in their vehicles but were happy to do so themselves.

Car wash

The easytrip research has also revealed that 42% of drivers wash their car once a month, followed by 33% once or twice a year and nearly 16% every fortnight.  Drivers of newer models also claimed that they got their car washed once a week or even daily.

When it comes to the type of car wash, the nearest drive through car wash was the most popular at 51%, followed by a car valet service (22%), while 16% selected a DIY wash outside their home and 11% selected the nearest self-service car wash.

Most popular days of the week for getting a car wash are:

  1. Saturday
  2. Sunday
  3. Friday

Respondents to the easytrip survey were also asked if they thought it was important to have a clean car for the NCT test – with the majority agreeing at 89%.

Commenting on the results, General Manager of easytrip Ireland, Colin Delaney said: “We certainly are a car proud nation with the majority of us cleaning and tidying our vehicles on a regular basis. Our vehicles have become a second home for the majority of us as we commute to work, school and on daily errands and with this the clutter can pile up – one item that can be minimised is loose change for tolls by replacing it with an easytrip tag. Storing necessary items in secure compartments and tidying the car regularly can also prevent items flying around the car or even getting lodged under the driving pedals in the event of sudden braking.”

Easytrip customers save on toll fees, avoid incurring fines on the M50 motorway and have access to all 11 toll plazas nationwide as well as exclusive cash-free access to 25 car parks across Belfast, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford and other motoring services.

For more information log onto www.easytrip.ie or call 1890 67 67 68.