Forget the first aid kit. Ditch the jump leads. The most important single item to take with you when driving off on holiday is... your mobile phone!
So says a new survey of UK motorists by breakdown service Autonational Rescue.
UK motorists say the top five items they need to take with them on holiday are:
1. Mobile phones (86 per cent wouldn't want to leave theirs behind!).
2. Printed maps or directions (83 per cent take some with them).
3. Breakdown cover details (78 per cent would definitely want these).
4. First Aid kit (you just never know when you need one say 69 per cent).
5. A set of jump leads (still a 'must have', but only for 51 per cent of all drivers).
Said Autonational's spokesman Ronan Hart: "There's literally no getting away from it now, not even on holiday! The mobile has gone from being a useful tool to a prerequisite for most motorists.
"But it's good to see that a high percentage - 78 per cent - take their breakdown cover details with them."
The survey found that the greatest mobile phone addicts of them all are in the North East (where 96 per cent wouldn't leave home without it).
Asked what part of their car they would check before driving off on hols, 78 per cent said they would check water and oil levels, 77 per cent would check their car's tyre pressures (to allow for having a heavier load) and 66 per cent would check the condition of their tyres for wear and tear or damage. But worryingly, 13 per cent wouldn't check any of these things!