More than five million motorists are driving dangerous cars says breakdown recovery organisation Britannia Rescue. In a recent survey it found that the most common faults were worn tyres, defective brakes and faulty exhaust pipes.
This is worrying because worn tyres and faulty brakes can cause serious accidents and could lead to the car’s owner being held responsible for any damage or injuries caused.
Amazingly some 20% of drivers had known about the fault on their vehicle for more than six months but not bothered to do anything about it.
One in three said they could not afford to fix the problem whereas one in 10 said they did not have time to get their car repaired.
Try that as an excuse in law after an accident where someone was injured or killed.
Some 5% of vehicles in need of repair, says Britannia Rescue, had broken or missing wing mirrors, while about the same number had broken head or tail lights.
We find that some women drivers are so busy with family, domestic and job commitments that their car often loses out in terms of its regular care.
And the recent vehicle recalls by so many manufacturers, not just Toyota, tell us that nearly new cars are as likely as older ones to have serious safety issues so we need to remember to have our cars checked, maintained and serviced regularly to be sure they are safe.
Even those of us that do check our own car tyres, oil and water levels can miss important safety matters because we don’t know what else to look out for.
I’d worry that a dangerous car I owned might cause a serious accident that could kill or seriously injure my passengers, pedestrians or the occupants of other cars. Never mind the metal.
And increasingly we read that owners of poorly maintained cars have their insurance cover withdrawn when it can be proven that an accident was caused because the car owner had not carried out regular maintenance or had it serviced often enough.
I wouldn’t want to have that on my conscience for want of making an occasional hour to pop into my local garage for a free car check…
FOXY Steph
Find out how women drivers can save money on everyday motoring bills and enjoy free seasonal car checks.
Find out how to choose a good and female friendly local garage.
