Car-related admin costs more than you think

Tempus Fugit... or for those who don't speak Latin, time flies. And it turns out time is one of the hidden things we don’t usually associate with our cars. We’re not talking about traffic jams and the like, either. According to a recent survey, the amount of time we spend on car-related admin is a whopping 565 hours over the average driver’s lifetime. That's a lot of hours that could have been spent doing other things.

A poll of 2,000 drivers revealed that on average, they spend the equivalent of a full day each year thinking about service schedules, MOTs, and dealing with potential issues.

Over six in 10 have missed important occasions because of a car-related problem, with drivers reporting having to change plans four times a year on average due to car issues. The study also found that almost half of drivers (46%) say motoring admin takes up valuable headspace, many of whom still rely on traditional methods to stay organised: 52% still use diaries to manage service schedules, 37% wait for a dashboard alert before acting, and a further 37% admitted to actively delaying visits to a garage.

The research was commissioned by BMW to highlight its Proactive Care service designed to give drivers added confidence and convenience.

Available on every BMW under 10 years old, Proactive Care uses real-time vehicle data to alert drivers to potential issues before they become problems, remind them about scheduled maintenance, or offer immediate support following an accident.

The impact this has on car ownership is significant, with over two thirds of motorists saying they’d enjoy driving more if they had greater peace of mind.

Considering the average Brit spends just a tenth of their day doing what they actually want, with the rest absorbed by obligations and life admin, freeing up a few extra hours here and there must be a good thing.

According to the survey, you could read more (33%), exercise more (32%), or take more time for holidays and days out (37%). Almost a quarter said that true relaxation only comes once they’re physically away from their everyday stresses, so an extra day off from those stresses shouldn't be dismissed lightly.

The obvious solution would be to lease a BMW so you can take advantage of Proactive Care, and you're highly unlikely to be disappointed if you do.

Alternatively, if safety, peace of mind and monthly costs are important to you then it’s worth considering a maintained lease regardless of your chosen vehicle.

Maintenance cover takes away the risk of paying for expensive and unplanned maintenance costs. The Gateway2Lease range of maintenance packages include routine services, replacement tyres, and other repair costs to ensure that you remain mobile all 365 days a year.

A maintenance agreement won’t remove the need to deal with all that car-related admin, but it will take away the worst of the hassle so you can spend more time doing the things that matter most.