Filed under: Latest News
Food giant and fledgling car mega-dealer Tesco reckons that one in nine cars are not roadworthy due to missing one or more brake lights.
Based on a study, it reckons that 11% of UK vehicles - that's around 3.7 million - could be ripe for a £60 fine and three penalty points.
The number, if true, represents a 68 percent increase in the number of vehicles with missing brake lights since 2010, when it was one in 15 vehicles.
Cars with a missing brake light will fail the MOT, and in 2010 15% of vehicles did just that, according to VOSA (Vehicle Operating Standards Authority) figures. Any driver pulled over by the police for having faulty brake lights can expect to receive three penalty points and a £60 fine under a CU10 traffic offence code.
Tesco gathered the information during rush hour periods, although the company doesn't say what size sample was collected. It noted that 3% of vehicles were missing one or more headlamps, and 4% had no brake lights working at all.
Of course, no car sold by Tesco Cars would ever have a faulty headlamp. Goes without saying.
Rebecca Ryan, a marketing person from Tesco Cars, said: "An alarming number of cars are missing important safety features - it's a major concern for road safety and a potentially fatal fault in low light conditions.
"We urge solo-commuter drivers to regularly check their lights are clean and functional, perhaps with the help of a colleague or family member. 'Be seen be safe' applies directly in this situation."
Other car sellers are available. And supermarkets - Waitrose or Morrisons, for example.