M&S Car Insurance have discovered that female drivers are the worst culprits for driving away in a new car without reading the instruction manual first.

However the men don’t fair much better as the poll conducted by the company showed that 30% of male drivers are likely to drive off the forecourt without consulting the instruction manual, compared to 40% of female drivers. On the whole only 12% of UK motorists will study the manual before embarking on their first trip in a new car.

Delving into the survey’s results further, it reveals that 35% will not read up on their new car at all before driving it, while 51% say they flick through the manual ahead of their first ride in their spanking new vehicle.

Only 21% of motorists said they felt confident they knew how to operate all facets of their new car before driving off, while a worrying 19%, which is almost a fifth of people, said they worked it out on the road. Figuring out how to use headlights, CD player, and windscreen wipers is something these motorists say they do while behind the wheel.

Insurance companies warn that drivers could be putting themselves at unnecessary risk by not properly familiarising themselves with their new ride before hitting the road.

With March 1^st fast approaching, many motorists are looking forward to driving off in their new 10 plate cars, however they should take heed of the advice given and ensure they are properly briefed on the new vehicle before embarking on their first road trip.