Over half of British motorists regularly wash their cars by hand or have them done at hand car wash operations,

oblivious to the effects this has on the environment. A survey of 1,000 motorists, released by Total and supported by thegreencarwebsite.co.uk, found that 74% of drivers understand that their actions do have an effect on the environment. However, they appeared to be unaware that hand washing a car could cause dirty water to run into rivers and streams where it can affect water quality and harm wildlife. The study also revealed that old myths about car washes still exist, with 19% of motorists believing that cars with fixed aerials were not allowed to use rollover car washes. One third of motorists still think rollovers damage the paintwork. Robert Doyle, car wash manager at Total, said: "The gap between motorists’ perception and reality when it comes to washing cars is a real eye-opener."

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