How well do you know the warning lights on your car’s dashboard? Take this tricky quiz to find out: only 4% of drivers know them all

Half of drivers cannot identify 50 percent of the warning lights on their car’s dashboard – and only 4 percent can correctly identify them all, raising major concerns about the safety of vehicles on the road.

Around 46 percent of drivers – representing 23 million driving license holders in Britain – who took part in a new study could not correctly identify half of the symbols that appear on the instrument cluster to alert them to a problem.

As vehicles become more technologically advanced, this lack of understanding “not only puts drivers at risk, but can also lead to avoidable and costly repairs,” warns Warrantywise, which commissioned the study.

And an alarming number of drivers say they ignore the hazard lights when they do come on.

According to a separate survey by Green Flag, 43 percent of drivers ignore critical warning signs on the dashboard, while 15 percent ignore the illuminated warning lights in their car for more than a week.

When the roadside assistance operator showed the driver panel a selection of the different symbols, 96 percent could not name them all.

Take our quiz below to see if you can correctly identify nine dashboard warning lights.

Modern car dashboards are now awash with warning symbols which, when illuminated, should inform owners of the health of their vehicle.

They range from simple reminders, such as low windshield washer fluid levels, to serious warnings about braking system failure and engine failure.

Warning lights follow a traffic light color system: green means the system is working properly or is currently in use; yellow warnings that something is not working correctly and you need to be extra careful and check this as soon as possible; and red means there is a serious and potentially dangerous problem and you should stop driving as soon as it is safe to do so.

A recent poll of 2,000 licensees, commissioned by extended used car warranty provider Warrantywise, highlights a worrying knowledge gap, with many drivers unclear about what the signals mean or how urgently they should act if one appears.

Even more worryingly, the research also found that three percent of drivers – representing around 1.5 million of Britain’s 50 million driver’s license holders – cannot identify warning lights on the dashboard at all, making them particularly vulnerable to unexpected breakdowns .

Ignoring or misinterpreting a warning light can lead to delayed repairs, leading to greater damage and higher costs, and in some cases can even compromise the safety of the driver and passenger.

Yet Green Flag’s own survey of 2,000 drivers found that almost two-fifths of drivers broke down after ignoring warning lights, one in ten had had an accident, and a similar number caused damage to their vehicle due to the said problem to be overlooked.

The most common reasons drivers give for ignoring warning lights include that they don’t think it is urgent (61 percent), that they believe their car would be fine (26 percent) and that repairs would be too expensive ( 18 percent).

As cars continue to evolve, the growing variety of warning lights requires greater driver awareness, Warrantywise executives say Antony Diggins.

‘The warning system on your car’s dashboard is one of the first lines of defense. These warning lights are not just for convenience; they are essential for your safety and the health of your vehicle,” explains Antony.

‘Modern cars provide incredible progress, but also require drivers to stay informed.

‘Taking the time to understand your car can save you thousands in repair costs, and since your car is likely one of your largest investments, learning what those warning lights mean is one of the best ways to keep it protected and safe on the road. to stay away. ‘

A Green Flag poll shows that two-fifths of motorists have broken down after ignoring warning lights, one in ten have had an accident and 10% have caused damage to their vehicle.

When Green Flag showed a variety of vehicle warning lights to the panel of 2,000 UK license plate holders, only two in 50 were unable to accurately identify their meaning.

And a clear discrepancy was found between what drivers thought they knew and their actual knowledge.

Despite 60 percent believing they could identify the brake pad warning light with certainty, just over a fifth could.

Three-quarters of drivers thought they were familiar with the check engine light, but only two-fifths identified it correctly.

Katie Lomas, chief executive of the breakdown assistance group, said: ‘Despite dashboard warning lights playing a vital role in safety and vehicle performance, many drivers ignore or are unable to recognize these vital warnings.’