Women want 'female-only garages'

Most female drivers feel intimidated when they take their car into a garage for servicing, according to a new poll, and many would prefer women-only garages.

Women's car insurer Diamond surveyed 4000 women and found that 52% find garage visits daunting, and 31% would rather deal with a garage staffed by women.

Younger women are the least confident – 57% of this age group feel intimidated by garages, compared with just 37% of the over-55 age group.

Sian Lewis, managing director of Diamond, said: 'Today's female motorists are knowledgeable about cars and many do basic servicing themselves.

'According to our research, more than 70% of women know how to check the oil, water and tyre pressure on their car. However, garages still seem to be very much men's domain and can be intimidating for some women.'

It's a similar story on the sales floor, where 60% of women find car salespeople patronising. One in three would rather buy a car from a woman than a man.

How to avoid dealing with those intimidating men at the garage
Diamond is offering women an alternative via its Best Friend Garage Network. Anyone taking out an insurance policy with the company has access to the service, which takes care of all dealings with the garage.

When a car needs an MoT test, repairs or servicing, owners can call the network, who will get a quote from one of its monitored garages, book the car in, and even arrange delivery and collection.