NEW data has revealed the distances that British drivers will be travelling for their summer breaks this year, many motorists admit to starting holiday journeys with either a lie or a prayer.

In research carried out for Kwik Fit, the UK's leading automotive servicing and repair company, one in eleven drivers admit to telling their partner or family that they had thoroughly checked the car before setting off, even though they hadn't.

A similar proportion of drivers confess that they had set off on their summer holiday journey knowing there was an issue with their car but simply crossed their fingers and hoped that it would last until they got home again.

The research also found that one in eight drivers have broken down on their way to or from their holiday destination, with 12 per cent suffering tyre problems such as a puncture, blow out or flat tyre.

UK holidaymakers are set to drive significant distances in their own cars this summer.

Those going to UK destinations will cover an average of 443 miles, while those taking their car abroad will typically drive 896 miles. Of those heading overseas, more than one in six, will travel more than 2,000 miles.

Kwik Fit has found that despite having these lengthy trips ahead of them, millions of drivers admit that they won't make vital checks before getting in their cars. One in six drivers say they won't check their tyre pressures before setting off to their destination. And although we have seen repeated extreme heatwaves in the UK and Europe already this year, almost three in ten drivers won't check their coolant.

Very surprisingly, those covering the greatest distances are among the most blasé of all. 28% of drivers covering more than 2,000 miles overseas say they won't spendtime checking their tyre pressures before they leave. Even more of this group won't check their tyre tread or coolant.

Tyres problems are the most common cause of breakdowns on motorways and main roads, and Kwik Fit highlights how critical checks are.

Dan Joyce, the company's operations director, said: "Many cars today are not fitted with a spare wheel and so any kind of tyre problem can be seriously disruptive to holiday travel. So many of the tyre issues we see on the roads can be prevented with simple checks. Drivers should ensure that tyres are at the correct pressure - which may need to be higher than normal if the car is fully loaded - and that they have sufficient tread and are not wearing unevenly."

Younger drivers are more likely to have fibbed to their family than older motorists. One in five of drivers aged 18-34 admit they told their partners or family they had carried out checks when they hadn't, compared to just two per cent of drivers over 55.

Younger drivers are also more likely to trust to luck. 19 per cent of 18-34 year old drivers set off on a holiday journey knowing they had an issue with their car, in contrast to three per cent of those over 55. Londoners are also likely to set off on a wing and prayer, with one in six having done so, compared to just three per cent of drivers in the East of England.

Mr Joyce added: "There is so much technology in new cars that there is a danger of drivers leaving all the checks and monitoring to the in-car systems. However, there is no substitute for carrying out a proper check on all the key components. Carrying out a check will give some peace of mind - not least because drivers won't have to lie to their partners about whether they've done it."