The number of UK motorists penalised for driving unroadworthy vehicles has surged by more than half in just 12 months.

This revelation has sparked concerns about road safety and the scale of the problem.

While the cost of living crisis can be cited as influencing the issue, the fact remains that roads are becoming more dangerous due to a lack of appropriate vehicle maintenance.

Does more need to be done to police this area of road safety?

Breaking down

New data from the RAC’s mobile servicing and repairs division has been obtained via a Freedom of Information request to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

It reveals 13,109 penalty point endorsements were issued in 2024 for vehicles with defective brakes, tyres, steering or other safety-critical faults.

That represents a 52% rise compared with 8,614 offences in 2023.

Each offence carries three penalty points that remain on a driver’s licence for four years.

The RAC warns these figures are “just the tip of the iceberg”, given that nearly 10 million vehicles fail MOT tests each year, and many may still be driven despite not being mechanically sound.

 

Tired and broken

Driving with defective tyres was the most common offence, accounting for 8,945 cases in 2024, up 44% from 6,196 the previous year.

The most dramatic rise was in faulty brakes, with 1,190 drivers penalised — more than six times the 181 recorded in 2023.

A further 2,974 drivers were caught for other roadworthiness issues, such as defective steering, up 33%.

All but two UK regions saw increases.

The East Midlands recorded the sharpest rise at 87%, from 374 cases in 2023 to 700 last year.

Central Scotland saw a 50% rise.

Only mid Wales and south west Wales reported slight decreases.

Greater London topped the list for total offences, with 1,765 drivers penalised in 2024, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber at 1,373.

Real-world risk

While official casualty statistics attribute the majority of crashes to driver error, mechanical defects still contribute to hundreds of incidents annually.

According to Department for Transport figures, vehicle defects were a factor in 1,133 reported road collisions in Great Britain in 2023, including 26 fatal crashes.

Tyre failures were the most common defect-related cause, followed by defective brakes and steering.

RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader, Nick Mullender, called the rising numbers “a cause for alarm”. He warned:

“Whether it’s brakes, tyres, steering or something else, every mechanical component in a vehicle plays a critical role in ensuring it can be driven safely. By getting behind the wheel of defective vehicles, a minority of drivers are needlessly putting the law-abiding majority at serious risk.”

‘Shocking’ disregard for safety

Chief Superintendent Marc Clothier of the National Roads Policing Operation for Intelligence and Investigations described the trend as “shocking”:

“If you are driving an unroadworthy vehicle with defects such as tyres or brakes, you are not only putting yourself at risk but you are putting the lives of other road users at risk too.”

Both the RAC and police are urging drivers to perform routine checks between MOTs.

Mullender emphasised that with mobile mechanics and at-home services more accessible than ever, there is “no excuse” for ignoring faults.

With defective vehicles continuing to contribute to avoidable collisions, road safety groups argue that enforcement, education, and affordability of repairs must all improve if the UK is to reverse this dangerous trend.

Road safety appears to be becoming a luxury choice rather than a necessity.