MOT failures rise as motorists cut back

New figures released by the Retail Motor Industry have shown that the number of cars and small vans that are failing an MOT has increased during the last three years making some of them too dangerous to drive and so increasing the likelihood that they will be involved in a road accident, the economic downturn being blamed.

The figures show the number failing rose from 8.4 million in 2006 to 10.5 million last year with the industry suggesting that more motorists are cutting back on servicing and maintenance to save money. The AA suggests that the figure would be even higher were it not for the “cash for bangers” scheme which took 300,000 old motors off the roads.

An AA spokesman said that a poll of their own members earlier this year revealed that one in five drivers was cutting back on servicing their cars. He added: “That is a huge amount. The cost of fuel is taking a huge amount out of motorists pockets and they are looking to save money where they can. These failures could be the tip of the iceberg hiding a motoring underclass who are driving cars with crumbling tyres and brakes which won’t stop a car in time.”

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