A survey by Britannia Rescue has revealed that a number of drivers admit to postponing car repairs to save money. That includes driving without MOT and ignoring safety-related items like replacing worn tyres.
Around 23% admitted their cars had a defect that rendered it illegal and one in seven said their vehicle was in urgent need of repair. Bald tyres were the most common problem but faulty brakes, broken windscreen wipers and defective brake lights were also typical.
Almost one in five (18%) motorists confessed to driving without a valid MOT certificate. Of those drivers, two thirds claimed this was because they forgot to check the renewal date. The rest admitted that they were aware but drove anyway; despite the risk of three penalty points and a fine that can be up to £1,000.
The average delay in getting faults fixed is four months with one in seven drivers taking six months. Forty per cent of motorists say that repairs are too expensive and nearly a quarter don't see fixing the car as a priority as long as 'it still gets from A to B'. Young drivers, aged 18-34, are the worst culprits with a quarter driving a vehicle in need of repair; while only 5% of car owners over 55 put off getting things fixed.
Peter Horton, Britannia Rescue Managing Director, said: "Sacrificing car maintenance is a false economy, which not only increases the risk of breaking down but also puts those travelling in the car in unnecessary danger. In these tough economic times we all need to tighten our belts, but scrimping on road safety isn't the place to start."
IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig said: "In 2010, poorly maintained vehicles caused 52 road deaths. Neglecting maintenance only leads to bigger repair bills later on, lower second-hand values, and increased fuel consumption. There are also fines if you get caught. More frontline policing and better co-ordination between agencies such as VOSA and the DVLA will help get the worst examples off the road, but In the meantime VOSA should extend the MOT reminder scheme so that no driver can plead ignorance of their renewal date."
John Lambert - 21 Mar 2012
