Many British motorists admit they fail to understand many of their car gadgets, reveals a new survey.

A poll of 2,000 drivers by auto maker Dacia revealed 84 per cent believe tech devices have become too complicated and many of the high-tech functions go unused.

The survey concluded British drivers only use around two-thirds of the settings offered by their car, with ten per cent admitting they don’t fully understand the various symbols on their vehicle’s dashboard.

Confusion was not just limited to car technology, with six in ten Brits admitting they do not know how to fully use their washing machine, while more than third believe they only use 50 per cent of their smartphone capabilities.

In some cases, people had returned a gadget because it was too difficult to use straight away, or just used it a couple of times before consigning it to the back of a cupboard.

Louise O’Sullivan, head of Dacia UK, said: “The influx of gadgets and technology into our lives was supposed to make living easier but our survey showed that millions of people aren’t even using half of the functions their tech offers, which makes you question how much benefit the user is getting.”

She added: “There’s a lot to be said for simplicity in gadgets, things that have just a few functions and perform them well.

“We also believe that if there’s a benefit to the user by adding technology, then it’s worth doing – provided it gets the balance right and remains useful, rather than paying for over-complicated add-ons that aren’t really required.”

Just 55 per cent of those polled believed they are missing out by not fully understanding their tech.

Ben Robb, brand manager at The Fuelcard People, commentated: “Many people don’t have the time to figure out how complicated gadgets work and are content as long as they can do want they need to.”

In 2015, market research firm Gartner estimated UK consumer spending on technology totalled £123.9 billion.