One in five people could be driving a car without a valid MOT test, according to a survey of 2000 motorists.
This comes amid concerns that the cost of living crisis is continuing to cripple household finances. The Bank of England has raised the interest rate from 4.5 percent to 5 percent – a bigger increase than expected – while the rate of inflation is stuck at 8.7 percent.
Mortgage holders are expected to lose more than 20 percent of their disposal incomes, which could encourage them to cut corners in other areas.
The poll, commissioned by Compare the Market, found that 22 percent of drivers admitted to driving a car without a valid test. Twenty-seven percent said they forgot, while 22 percent said they skipped the test to save money.
Commenting on the figures, Halfords CEO Graham Stapleton said: “These figures continue to show the impact the cost of living crisis is directly having on the safety of motorists on our roads.
”When a warning is issued for tyres it could mean that in a matter of miles the tyres could be illegal. Yet the vast majority of motorists say they wouldn’t change them right away.
”Given how few motorists check their own tyres, the reality is that there could be millions of vehicles in the UK at any one time with illegal tyres. We’re seeing this direct impact in the number of vehicles being identified with unsafe tyres during their MOTs.”
Source: National World