6 Car Related Excuses for Not Going Out This Christmas

We know it ‘tis the season to be jolly’ but there are usually one or two festive events you want to dodge over Christmas. Whether it’s your Great Aunt’s best friend’s Christmas buffet or grabbing drinks with an ex-work colleague, we all need one, or two, believable excuses to escape unwanted plans.

Using our extensive automotive knowledge, we’ve collected a list of 6 car related ‘auto excuses’ with useful facts and statistics for you to use at your disposal this Christmas. Never worry about avoiding an event again!

Running out of petrol is a simple mistake that can catch us out when we least expect it. That’s why not knowing your petrol light symbol could mean you ‘run out of petrol’ on your way to see family or friends. You must be thinking “how is that believable?” but as more than 800,000 motorists ignore their warning light, it wouldn’t seem too far-fetched!

This can also be supported with petrol stations seasonal opening hours and the sheer effort of travelling on foot to source a canister of fuel. Perhaps it’s better to rearrange and get back in your pyjamas instead?

Whether you want to claim your tyre deflated on the way, or you went out to the car and noticed you had a flat, a flat tyre is a great car-related excuse to free you of unwelcome plans. Studies show that nearly 50% of motorists don’t feel confident changing a tyre, which really works in your favour.

If you haven’t signed up for breakdown cover it’s unlikely you’ll get your tyre changed in time for that all important event, so we advise cancelling in advance... Oops.

As we all know driving under the influence is against the law, however many drivers don’t take into consideration their toxicity levels the morning after a heavy night. On average it takes roughly one hour for your body to process one unit of alcohol, so if you celebrated in excess the night before you might not be legally able to drive the next morning.

Many of us have suffered after a night out, so you’re likely to get sympathy for your delicate state, allowing you a day in bed rather than a long trip to visit relatives further afield. Remember - be safe and don’t drink and drive.

As the winter months bring with it some treacherous weather conditions, you may feel more at ease off the roads altogether (or at least that’s the excuse you’ll use). Despite driving a road worthy and reliable car, statistics show only 3% of UK drivers invest in winter tyres as it’s believed they only provide benefits in snow, so are unprepared for icy or wet conditions. However, with their additional benefits noticeable in temperatures as low as 7 degrees, investing in winter tyres are useful for all UK motorists.

So until the other 97% join the world of winter tyres, it might be an excuse you can just about get away with.

There is nothing worse than losing your keys, and if you’re typically quite a forgetful person there’s no reason why you can’t have accidentally locked them in your car. There are a few reasons why this excuse is ideal to use, with the top one being the unknown duration you’d have to wait for an auto locksmith to retrieve them.

Although locksmiths aim to get to motorists as soon as possible, during the Christmas period services may be a little slower, meaning you’re unable to confirm an arrival time at the event you’re trying to ditch. Secondly, the service doesn't have a set fee leaving you to pay out more than expected, thus giving you two solid reasons to cancel altogether!

With the party season looming, late nights will be more frequent and likely disrupt your normal sleep pattern. Subsequently, there will be nights when you’re just not up to going out, which is completely acceptable although it’s always handy to have this as a back-up for times when you just need an excuse.

While this isn’t the most extravagant excuse, being too tired to drive is a serious concern, especially when research suggests almost 20% of accidents on major roads are sleep-related. Think before getting behind the wheel for a long journey if you’re sleep deprived, cancelling on family or friends is worth it to avoid an accident!

Why not test out one of our driving excuses or better yet, do you have any successful excuses you’ve used in the past? Get in touch on our Facebook or Twitter and let us know.

If you’d like to put your knowledge to the test before trying out any of these excuses this year, we’ve created a Driving Genius quiz in the hopes of finding our top Driving Genius!