One in four UK adults are driving around in illegal vehicles, according to latest research.
A study investigating road safety education in the UK found that 27% of motorists have been breaking road safety laws, either intentionally or unintentionally
Faulty or tinted headlights (37%), not enough tread on tyres (28%) and altered exhausts (19%) were the most commonly reported illegal car faults and modifications, with a small minority of motorists (3%) admitting they continued to drive with broken seatbelts.
As part of car repairs payment platform bumper.co.uk’s investigation into road safety education in the UK, 2,287 anonymous motorists were polled to find out if they had been breaking road safety laws.
Tinted headlights among common issues
When presented with a list of common illegal car faults and modifications, 27% responded that their current vehicle met the criteria for one or more conditions.
Of those, the most commonly reported faults and modifications were: Faulty or tinted headlights (37%), not enough tyre tread (28%), altered exhaust (19%), front side windows tinted by over 70% (12%), custom stereo system (8% ).
When asked if concerned about the legal risk of driving with these faults, only 40% of respondents said they had considered legal implications – opening them up to some hefty fines if caught.
Driving with only one working headlight, for example, incurs a fixed penalty notice fine worth £100 plus three penalty points.
£100 fine for failing to wear a seatbelt
A small minority of motorists who met the criteria to be driving an illegally unsafe vehicle also confessed to driving with broken seatbelts (3%). Data published by the Department for Transport found that 23% of car occupant fatalities in reported road collisions in 2020 were not wearing a seatbelt.
Failing to wear a seatbelt can result in a £100 fine or as much as £500 if the matter is taken to court.
The latest national figures released by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency show that the pass rate for car theory tests from April 2021 to March 2022 was 54%.
Bumper asked its survey participants how confident they felt about driving theory, and just over two thirds (68%) of motorists believe they could successfully pass a theory test again on their first try – suggesting most drivers feel familiar with road safety laws, despite over a quarter continuing to drive in unsafe vehicles.
When on the road, your safety is determined by so many more factors than your perception or ability to drive. It’s not worth risking an accident
James Jackson, CEO of bumper.co.uk, said: “Road safety is an incredibly serious matter. When you drive on the road, it’s not only your responsibility to ensure your own safety, but the safety of everyone else on the road.
“While customisations like an extra loud exhaust or stereo system aren’t going to harm anyone, to see far more serious faults like broken seatbelts or faulty headlights being ignored is a shock.
“If your car needs repairs – don’t ignore them. There are many different options out there to make the repair process as easy and affordable as possible, such as splitting the payments over a number of months, so there’s really no excuse to not get it sorted.
“When on the road, your safety is determined by so many more factors than your perception or ability to drive. It’s not worth risking an accident, yet alone a hefty fine or points on your licence.”
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