'Drivers to blame' - AA

Breaking down and getting stuck at the side of the road is the nightmare scenario for motorists, but they usually only have themselves to blame, data published today indicates.

Figures released by AA Ireland show that 50 per cent of callouts to its roadside rescue service were because a driver had run the battery flat, forgotten to put fuel in the car, or had lost or locked the keys inside the vehicle.

The analysis of 80,000 calls in the first six months of 2007 is to be published today. It also shows that women are considerably more likely than their male counterparts to call for help to change a flat tyre, but that men are more likely to lose their keys or forget to fuel up.

The data reveals that the simplest of problems is the most common, with 31.8 per cent of callouts in the first six months of the year for a flat battery. This is by far the most common problem facing motorists who break down, with the cause usually leaving lights on for long periods, according to the AA statistics.

The next most common reason for calling for help is a flat tyre, with 13.1 per cent of callouts for assistance with this.

Fuel problems, usually running out of petrol or diesel, accounted for 10.5 per cent of callouts and were the third most common reason for a callout between January and June last.

Problems with the engine and exhaust accounted for 9 per cent of callouts, while problems with the locks and alarms, including locking the keys inside or losing them altogether, accounted for 6.6 per cent. Mechanical problems with cars, including faults with transmission, steering, suspension brakes as well as ignition, electrical and cooling problems, featured towards the bottom of the list of most common reasons for callouts, pointing to increasingly efficient vehicle standards.

The figures show that 60 per cent of calls to the AA were received by men, reflecting vehicle ownership patterns.

Women were 38 per cent more likely to need a wheel changed than men. However, men were more likely to lock their keys into the car. The AA was called to such a scenario 2,100 times in the first six months of the year and the victims were 12 per cent more likely to be male than female. Losing keys is also something that afflicts males more - the risk was 18.5 per cent higher for men.

Putting the wrong type of fuel in a car is relatively rare - accounting for only 417 calls. However, again, men fared worse and were 18.5 per cent more likely to make this mistake. The AA data also showed that men were 42.5 per cent more likely to call as a result of a crash.

Monday was the most unfortunate day of the week for motorists, and the busiest for rescue crews. However, New Year blues meant that the single busiest day in the first six months of the year was Tuesday, January 2nd when the AA received a total of 909 calls in 24 hours. The busiest time of the day is between 9am and 10am, just after morning rush hour. AA crews respond to 160,000 distress calls a year fixing 80 per cent of problems at the side of the road.