An industry luminary who has a habit of stirring things up a bit has just issued a Press Release dear to my heart.
His name is Mark Cornwall and he runs a business called Car Parts Direct which does what it says on the tin, selling to trade and private customers alike.
Like me he is concerned about the common illusion among motorists that the MOT test is a car’s annual bill of health. It isn’t; it’s just a snapshot of your car on the day and within no time at all your tyres could be illegal and/or damaged.
I can’t remember the exact percentage of cars that fail their first MOT (it’s significant) but I’m not at all surprised that cars do because many motorists, women included, think they don’t have to do anything to a car (such as maintain it), other than have it serviced when absolutely necessary and then trade it in for another one come its 3rd birthday (in the good old days that is).
Unlike me, Mark knows about mechanical matters whereas I am simply aware of and fearful for the road safety of female motorists who don’t realise the risks they run by not taking good enough care of their car or settling for a sub-standard garage or dealership instead of knowing where the best ones can be found.
Now the insurance company Direct Line has added their voice to this debate, by reminding us that an unroadworthy car may not be insured as a result. Ignoring the cost for a moment, just imagine the scenario – our car caused an accident or injury to family or strangers alike because of our neglect. There is a further complication here for employers of ‘grey fleet’ car owners following recent Corporate Manslaughter legislation in this area.
Since when has ignorance been an excuse or the peace of mind we all need to sleep soundly in bed each night??
Anyway, I have learned the following from Mr Cornwall this time (our FOXY Uncles will smile knowingly when they read this post) and this could surely do with getting to a wider audience, especially in the female community, me included.
The facts I am told are that…
- If a suspension coil spring snaps on a speed bump the day after an MOT the car is no longer roadworthy. That and/or a leaking shock absorber can double the time your car takes to stop and might cause it to skid off the road.
- A knocking noise when turning bends is likely to be a driveshaft ie dangerous and expensive.
- Brake judder is often caused by warped discs ie dangerous and expensive.
- A leaking steering rack can leave a driver with unresponsive steering.
I am sure that if Jeremy Clarkson were ever to read my blog (unlikely, I admit…) he’d probably describe this post as ‘nanny stating the bleedingly obvious heart strings brigade’…
But the problem is that in a recession there will be more motorists than ever cutting back in terms of maintenance and postponed garage visits.
In these circumstances it is surely the case that there will be more, not fewer unroadworthy cars that just might have their insurance claim rejected after a road accident (and presumably not just by Direct Line). Just think about the accident side of that prediction for a moment, knowing that the safety message reaching women drivers could be a lot better than it is.
More joined up industry communications are needed in this unsexy area of course; this will come if Direct Line is right and perhaps they will convince the DfT that the roadworthiness of our cars is a fundamental factor in more road accidents than has been measured to date.
Shameless FOXY plug coming here, of course - FOXY Lady Drivers Club is doing its bit in terms of free car checks and by identifying the best (who are by virtue of their standards female friendly too) UK garages and dealerships there are. It’s a start and I am as determined as Mr Cornwall to keep plugging away at it (pardon the ho ho pun…).
FOXY Steph
www.foxyladydrivers.com – an inclusive online motoring support service
www.foxychoice.com – where to find the best and female friendly UK garages and dealerships (and if they aren’t there yet – tell them to ‘get a move on…’)
