NEED SOME ADVICE? TEL: 01634 405 757
NEED SOME ADVICE? TEL: 01634 405 757
07th January 2020 | By Ray Tyler
These are the latest statistics that have been released since the MOT changes that took place in 2018.
2.9 million vehicles failed with at least one failure deemed to be ‘dangerous’. This compares to 780,000 annual dangerous defects each year. This is when testers made their own decisions on what is classed as a ‘dangerous’ defect.
These results really underlines the contribution Britain’s annual MOT inspection makes to road safety. All these vehicles were being driven on the roads in a dangerous condition prior to the MOT inspection. Over half of these failures were due to dangerous tyres and whose drivers could have been subject to prosecution.
With a total of 1099 vehicle incidents, 446 was down to flawed tyres being the primary vehicle defect and contributing factor to car accidents. This is followed by defective brakes with 365 incidents, imperfect steering or suspension with 180 accidents and overloaded vehicles with 54 incidents. Defective lights or indicators came in at 46 accidents and mirrors are less common with a mere 8 incidents and feature at the bottom of the table.
Focusing on location, the south east has the highest number of accidents caused by vehicle defects, with 297 incidents. In contrast, drivers in the north east appear to take better care of their vehicles as only 46 vehicle defect related road accidents are recorded.
In London, defective brakes (85 incidents) are much more likely to cause an issue than faulty tyres (34 incidents); the constant braking and lower speeds when driving in the capital perhaps being the greatest influence on this.
This is because on a motorway under inflated tyres will overheat quickly, particularly at high speeds, and can consequently ‘blow out’ and cause an accident. Whereas on other roads, faulty brakes assume the top spot, as drivers brake more regularly.
Tyres and brakes control the movement of the car and so can easily cause a collision if they’re not in proper working condition. Tyres being the top two occurring vehicle defect emphasises that some UK drivers are not servicing their car regularly, or conducting simple checks, such as measuring the air pressure in the tyres. All drivers should follow their manufacturer’s recommended schedule and ensure that any anomalies are assessed by a professional as soon as possible. Doing so severely reduces the likelihood of these defects and keeps both you and other drivers safe on the road.
But it’s not too late to get your vehicle ready.
What needs to be checked?
If you cannot carry out those basic checks yourself then book your car in to us to ensure that your vehicle is indeed ready. Auto Experts will have your vehicle on a ramp and carry out a ‘Winter Service’ which will include all 15 checks including the following:-
Book in today, call us on 01634 851451 a ‘Winter Service’ will only cost £39 plus any parts or fluid top ups used and will give you peace of mind for the cold months ahead.
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