Millions of dangerous cars on road with faulty brakes and tyres

MORE than 2.4 million cars on the road were travelling with dangerous defects last year, new analysis of MOT data has found.

Figures from the RAC show that 8 per cent of vehicles were found to have serious failures that rendered them unroadworthy until the defect was fixed.

Of these, brake and tyre failures were the most common problem, comprising 88 per cent of all dangerous defects.

The RAC warned that drivers must get these parts of their car checked more regularly to ensure their safety and that of other road users.

MOTS were overhauled in 2018 in a move away from the simple pass or fail criteria, with failures now split into major failures and dangerous failures.

The data, which was taken from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, revealed that nearly one in every three of all cars and vans initially failed their

MOTS in the 12 months up to March 2022, the equivalent of 7.3 million vehicles.

In nine out of 10 of these cases the mechanics had found “major” rather than “dangerous” failures.

Of these major failures, non-working headlights and indicators were the most common, with 25 per cent of all failures being attributed to these.

Faulty or broken suspensions were the second most common issue and accounted for 18 per cent of all failures.

Earlier this year, the Government unveiled plans to overhaul the way in which MOTS are carried out.

It proposed changing MOTS from an annual check-up to a bi-annual checkup. It is also assessing whether new cars should receive their first MOT four years after registration, instead of the current three-year requirement.

However, the RAC has warned the Government not to go through with these changes.

Nicholas Lyes, RAC head of roads policy, said: “With more than 7.3 million small passenger vehicles i nitially failing their MOTS, and around 2.4 million of these failures having at least one dangerous defect, the idea of relaxing rules on MOT tests could make our roads far more dangerous, with the number of unroadworthy vehicles increasing.

The data revealed that the proportion of tyre failures had risen from 10 per cent in 2018-19, to 12 per cent in 2021-22.

Mr Lyes said: “Keeping tyres inflated and having a smooth driving style will often help prolong the life of the rubber.”