Can You Change A Tire?

A recent survey by Cooper Tires found that the majority of Americans say they can change a tire. With younger generations, especially millennials, buying fewer cars than older generations, the prevalence of basic car skills and the ability to handle road mishaps, such as a flat tire, might appear to be waning. However, Cooper found that almost three-fourths of Americans say they are confident they know how to change a tire. In addition to better understanding Americans’ abilities when it comes to changing a tire, the survey also uncovered interesting links between habits, preferences, and tire change know-how. Key findings include:

• 82% of respondents who make New Year’s resolutions know how to change a tire, compared to 67% who don’t make resolutions.
• Respondents who “always” or “sometimes” keep their resolutions are very likely to know how to change a tire (92% and 83%, respectively), while those who never keep their resolutions fall back to 72% – roughly the same number as those who don’t make resolutions at all.
• Somewhat surprisingly, younger Americans (millennials and Generation Xers) are more likely to say they know how to change a tire than older Americans. 78% of Gen Xers and 77% of millennials say they can change a tire, compared to 71% of baby boomers, 70% of Gen Z, and 67% of the Silent & Greatest Generations.
• 74% of both righties and lefties say they know how to change a tire – no other subgroup produced a tie.
• Coffee drinkers (75%) are more apt at changing tires than tea drinkers (70%), but people who like both are the best tire-changers of the bunch (79%).