Five million Britons break law driving unsafe vehicles

MORE than five million British motorists are currently breaking the law by driving unsafe vehicles, according to new research.
And the number of dangerous cars on the road may have been boosted by people keeping older cars for longer to benefit from the government’s scrappage scheme, claim insurers.

The most common repair faults identified include worn tyres (12 per cent), defective brakes (9 per cent) and faulty exhaust pipes (6 per cent), according to a poll of more than 3,200 motorists conducted by breakdown service Britannia Rescue.

One in 20 cars has broken or missing wing mirrors and a similar number (5 per cent) have broken head or tail lights, the study revealed.

Simon Stevens, general manager of Britannia Rescue, said: “It’s concerning so many motorists drive dangerous vehicles in need of repair. Some repairs may appear to be minor but they could still turn a car into a death-trap.”

Researchers calculated that of 33.8 million drivers in the UK, according to the most recent census, 16 per cent, or 5.4 million, admit currently driving a damaged vehicle with faults.