State Insurance responded to 1300 Roadside Assistance callouts across the country just over the Christmas and New Year period.

Almost half of those were related to the vehicle battery. The most common problem was batteries being too old to retain charge.

“Batteries are definitely the reason most people call up for assistance,” State’s Sean Craigen said. 

“When so many people are travelling around the country for day trips to the beach or campsites, the state of the car may be last on the priority list.

“Batteries can have issues for a number of different reasons. It might be your battery is old or drained due to GPS or applications using the charge. There’s also the chance that the good old lights were left on or doors left open,” he said.

“Lastly it could be that the vehicle has been sitting for a period of time and the battery no longer has enough power in it to start the engine.”

Tyres were also a problem for many drivers with. There were 57 callouts for help with tyre punctures, blow outs or damage.