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And increasingly we read that owners of poorly maintained cars have their insurance cover withdrawn when it can be proven that an accident was caused because the car owner had not carried out regular maintenance or had it serviced often enough.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

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• The most common faults were worn tyres, defective brakes and faulty exhaust pipes. It goes without saying that worn tyres and faulty brakes cause accidents and could lead to a motorist being held responsible for injuries caused to another.

• One in five 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, neither of which would be an excuse in law if they caused an accident and someone was injured or killed.

• Some 5% of vehicles in need of repair had broken or missing wing mirrors, while about the same number had broken head or tail lights.

Steph Savill of female friendly marketing service FOXY Choice suspects that some motorists have become complacent about their cars, imagining that if they are fairly new they are probably safe.

“Just as the recent vehicle recalls by so many manufacturers tell us, even nearly new cars can have serious safety issues and we mustn’t treat our cars like household appliances, doing little to take care of them and expecting to throw them away when they get old. Even those of us who are competent at checking our car’s tyres, oil and water levels can miss important safety concerns because we don’t have the professional eye to spot the unusual.”

Steph recommends that all motorists have their cars checked by garage professionals on a regular basis and explains that

“A dangerous car can cause a serious accident that could kill or seriously injure the driver, passengers, pedestrians and the occupants of other cars. Those who own a poorly maintained car may find that their insurer withdraws cover if it can be proven that the accident was caused because the car owner had neither carried out regular maintenance nor had it serviced often enough.”

Find out where the good and female friendly garages are in your area.

Find out how women drivers can save money on everyday motoring bills including garage charges.

FOXY Steph