A recently released study indicates that one in nine UK vehicles are set to fail their MOT tests due to a broken or missing brake light.
According to research by Tescocars.com, 3.7 million vehicles would be classed as ‘unroadworthy’ if checked by The Vehicle Operating Standards Authority. Drivers would be eligible for a £60 fine and several penalty points if their car failed a MOT.
The report also showed that 11% of vehicles were also missing one or more brake lights, while 3% are missing one or more headlights. Data was gathered from busy rush hour traffic and highlights an increase of 68% from 2010’s figures.
Data showed that drivers are not making regular headlight checks or solving an obvious fault quickly. A broken headlight reduces the driver’s view of the road and the vehicle’s visibility to other road users. In 2010, 32 out of 174 headlight related accidents were classed as ‘serious or fatal’, with another 364 accidents being caused by poor visibility.
Rebecca Ryan of Tesco Cars said that it was ‘alarming’ to find out that a large number of road users are driving cars that are missing important safety features. She branded it a major road safety hazard that could potentially be fatal in certain conditions.
Tesco Cars are urging commuters to check their lights on a regular basis and make sure that they are working and visible, while commercial vehicles are being advised to check their lights every time that the vehicle is used. Commercial vehicles were also featured in the survey, making up 8% of vehicles missing lights. 4% of vehicles surveyed had no functioning bulbs.