A YEAR SINCE NEW MOT TESTS INTRODUCED: OVER 10 MILLION VEHICLES IN THE UK HAVE FAILED

• One third (33 per cent) of vehicles failed new MOT tests
  brought in last year
• Drivers in Greater London have the safest vehicles – with 67 per cent of vehicles in this region passing the test
• Vehicles in the South West are the most dangerous, with a whopping 38 per cent of vehicles from this region failing
• Almost one in ten (nine per cent) vehicles failed with a ‘dangerous’ result under new tests

London, UK, Tuesday 9^th July, 2019 – New research* released by breakdown cover provider Green Flag has uncovered the pass and fail rates of motorists under the new MOT tests.  The new tests were brought in a year ago in May 2018 and the research has established where the most dangerous vehicles are in the UK.

Under new MOT regulations, there are new failure and fault categories, as well as stricter limits for emissions and additions to the MOT checks. The three new failure categories are minor, major and dangerous. If a car fails with a dangerous result, it is illegal to drive on the roads. Under the new MOT rules, drivers could be fined up to £2,500 if they are driving a car without a valid MOT.

Of the 30,488,960 MOT tests taken nationwide, 10,001,293 (33 per cent) of these were fails and 20,487,667 (67 per cent) were passes. Of these, 2,817,967 (nine per cent) vehicles yielded dangerous results and 9,095,989 (44 per cent) yielded major results.

Motorbikes fared better than cars under new MOT tests, with 83 per cent of motorbikes passing, and only 17 per cent failing. By comparison, only 67 per cent of cars passed new MOT tests.

The most dangerous cars on the road in the UK have been uncovered; regions where the most fails occurred include the South West (38 per cent), Wales (35 per cent), Scotland (35 per cent), the East Midlands (33 per cent) and the North East (33 per cent).

Meanwhile, the safest motors are those in the capital, as the highest pass rate for the new MOT test was Greater London (71 per cent), followed by the East of England (69 per cent), the West Midlands (68 per cent) and the North West (68 per cent).

Mark Newbery at Green Flag commented: “Drivers should be aware of the risks of driving a faulty car.  It not only endangers other motorists, but drivers and their passengers alike. Problems with vehicles will only worsen if not seen to, costing more money in the long run.

“We are urging drivers to thoroughly check their cars and repair any problems immediately, to give them the best chance of passing the new MOT tests.”

To find out more about Green Flag, visit https://www.greenflag.com/

• Green Flag has released hints and tips about car repairs: https://www.greenflag.com/advice/maintenance/choose-garage