More than half of British motorists (51 per cent) admit to being confused by car maintenance, according to a survey.

Some 85pc do not know what MoT stands for (Ministry of Transport), while 42pc have no idea how to change a flat tyre. Over a third of motorists (36pc) do not understand the majority of dashboard symbols and more than one in 10 (11pc) do not know how to measure oil, according to the research.

The poll of 2,000 British drivers was commissioned by car repair and servicing company Kwik Fit.

Some 59pc of motorists admitted not knowing the difference between MoTs and services, and over a fifth (21pc) believe passing an MoT means a car is safe to drive for a year. One in 50 (2pc) drivers even think leaving the lights on will stop a vehicle frosting over.

Paul Boulton of Kwik Fit said: “The level of misunderstanding around what keeps our cars running safely is pretty shocking.

“The industry should be doing more to demystify these misconceptions.”