WOMEN drivers are putting their lives at risk because they dislike taking faulty cars into "blokey" garages, a survey said.

Some female motorists find garage staff patronising and rude and others are intimidated by the atmosphere, a survey by women drivers' insurance company Sheilas' Wheels found. As many as 30 per cent of the women surveyed said they continued to drive a car around for more than a month before taking it in to a garage.

Almost half (47 per cent) said visiting a garage was an ordeal they would rather avoid, with 20 per cent saying they would rather go to the doctor.

Although 61 per cent of women take their car into a garage on their own, almost two-fifths of these women would prefer to take someone along with them.

Twelve per cent of women arrange for someone else to take their car in for them. Two in five women find garages "blokey", 27 per cent reckon the staff are patronising and rude and 23 per cent find the atmosphere intimidating.

Jacky Brown, spokesman for Sheilas' Wheels, said: "It's astounding that so many women motorists are potentially putting their lives on the line by driving around in cars that they know have a fault, just to avoid visiting a garage.

With more than 14 million female drivers behind the wheel on UK roads, it makes sense that their specific needs are met. We are urging the motor industry to take action and encourage female drivers to steer towards, rather than steer clear of, garages if their vehicles are in need of maintenance, servicing or repair."