Recent survey has found that many driver's cars could need immediate attention

A new survey has found that millions of drivers could be hitting the roads this festive period with serious warning lights displayed on their dashboard.

The research, conducted by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, revealed that the average UK motorist will end up travelling 89 miles over Christmas, though one in five will undertake this journey with urgent warning lights displayed on their dashboards.

The research saw 2,000 adults questioned – 1,563 of which had a full UK driving licence. It found that 23% of motorists had previously broken down over Christmas, while eight per cent had been in an accident due to their car not being properly maintained.

Sak Gill, assistant vice president of rental for Enterprise Rent-A-Car UK and Ireland, said: 'Driving home for Christmas may have romantic connotations thanks to the well-known song but, sadly, many UK motorists could find themselves stuck on the side of the road because they haven't checked their car before they drive off. This means the trip could well turn into the Nightmare Before Christmas, particularly if they are driving off with an active warning light.'

The survey found that 71% of drivers won't check their car tyre pressures, while 77% also won't look to see if their headlights are working.

When these results are scaled up to include the entire country, it could mean that up to 6.5 million people could be driving over the Christmas period in a car that needs urgent attention.