Car battery failures cause 200 MILLION hours of holds up on UK roads each year

The average motorist spends a huge 26 hours a year in hold ups caused by other cars breaking down - a full day. And a fifth of these hold ups (18%) are specifically caused by batteries failing. Multiplied by the number of drivers on UK roads, this equals a huge 197 million hours every year. This is according to new research amongst 2,000 motorists released today by Halfords.

The main reason behind battery-related traffic jams is drivers simply waiting for their battery to fail rather than replacing them in a timely fashion. This means battery faults are now the third-leading cause of broken down vehicles in the UK, behind only flat tyres (25%) and engine problems (24%). The increase in potholes is a likely reason tyres have now become the leading cause.

Despite the risk of hold ups - to themselves and other motorists - most car owners simply wait for the battery to fail, rather than proactively replacing it as it ages. Just 19% say that when they last changed their battery, it was because it was old or as part of routine maintenance. Instead, 80% waited until it died or stopped working entirely.

The figures show that a fifth of batteries in cars in the UK (18%) are now six years old or more - with a further 10% of drivers admitting they have no idea of their battery’s age.

Given batteries are only designed to last 3-5 years, Andy Turbefield, Halfords’ motoring expert, says batteries of six years of age or more are ‘in the danger zone’ and at risk of failure within the next year. That’s equal to 7.5 million motorists.

Furthermore, 25% of those with a vehicle they have owned for 8 years or more say they have never changed the battery - meaning they are at very high risk of a battery failure.

Reinforcing the delays flat batteries can cause, 20% of those who have suffered a breakdown in the past year admit they caused a traffic jam.

It’s not just inconvenient to other motorists - amongst those who have broken down in the past year, 38% had to call a costly tow truck and 27% were ‘stranded for hours without help’. Much of this could be avoided if drivers simply changed their battery as it got older rather than waiting for it to fail - something which can be purchased for as little as £55.

Misunderstanding of how long a car battery should last could be contributing to the issue - the average age of a battery which failed was found to be 3.2 years, despite motorists believing that the average lifespan of vehicle batteries is 5.8 years.

Commenting on the findings, Andy Turbefield, Halfords Motoring Expert, says “It is shocking that motorists are spending hundreds of millions of hours in delays caused by car batteries - something which could be avoided almost entirely if motorists changed their batteries proactively as they get older. We need a complete mindset shift from motorists, moving from waiting for failure to changing them before they give up the ghost. You wouldn’t wait for your tyres to burst before replacing them!

“However, it’s clear from the results that there are a lot of misconceptions, with motorists thinking they will last longer than they often do - the average failed battery amongst those in the research is just over three years old.

“While an MOT will check the battery is secure, its connectors, and that there are no signs of leaking fluid, it’s not a thorough inspection of its condition or potential lifespan. That is why Halfords is offering a completely free battery test to all UK motorists.”

Motorists can book a free 5 Point Winter Car Check - which includes a battery health check - completely free with Halfords HERE.

More details on Halford's range of 2025 batteries can be found HERE.