Four in ten cars 'would fail MOT'

16/12/11

By Sarah Tawton

More than 10 million cars on the UK's roads would not pass their MOT test, figures suggest.

Data from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) suggests that four in 10 cars and vans fail their test - equivalent to 10.4 million vehicles travelling around Britain.

The number of cars failing their annual MOT has soared in recent years as cash-strapped motorists delay repairs in a bid to save money.

Just one in three vehicles failed their MOT in 2005, VOSA said.

The Government safety body also warned that of those cars which would fail their MOT today, around 800,000 have faults that make them "dangerous to drive".

And the number of motorists risking their safety and that of other road users by driving with illegal tyres has soared by 250% in recent years.

The figures were released ahead of a Government review, which could see annual MOT tests scrapped.

Commenting on the statistics, Halfords Autocentres CEO Bill Duffy said: "This data demonstrates that car-owners are sacrificing regular servicing and maintenance to help balance stretched finances. Instead they are waiting for the MOT to find out what needs fixing, but by then many cars are un-roadworthy."