Dramatic rise in number of unroadworthy cars on UK roads
Wed, 20 Aug 2025
The number of unroadworthy vehicles on UK roads has jumped 52% in just 12 months – and even these figures could merely be the ‘tip of the iceberg’.
The RAC has analysed data received through a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA. This revealed that 13,109 penalty point endorsements were given in 2024 to driver of vehicles with defective brakes, tyres, steering or other problems.
This is a big jump from the 8614 endorsements given in 2023. Typically, three penalty points are handed out for such offences, which then remain on a driving licence for four years.
However, the RAC reckons the figures could be the tip of the iceberg, as they only represent vehicles that have been caught.
It points to the near 10 million vehicles that fail MoT tests every year, indicating the actual number of vehicles that aren’t mechanically sound but are still being driven is likely to be far higher.
Drivers in Greater London received the most penalty points for using unroadworthy vehicles last year, although the figure of 1765 drivers was ‘only’ 21% up on 2023. Yorkshire and Humber was next, followed by south east England and, close behind, north west England.
It was the east Midlands that saw the biggest percentage rise in unroadworthy vehicle penalties, increasing a staggering 87% in just a year to 700 drivers.
Meanwhile the figures showed that defective tyres was the top reason for receiving penalty points – but defective brakes saw the largest year-on-year increase, up six-fold on 2023.
"These figures are shocking," says National Roads Policing Operation for Intelligence and Investigations chief superintendent Marc Clothier.
"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."
The RAC’s Nick Mullender said the rise in figures was a cause for alarm, as it could indicate more drivers are running the gauntlet and driving unsafe vehicles.
"We should be thankful the police were able to detect those drivers included in our analysis. But unfortunately, for every person caught, there will doubtless be more who are knowingly in charge of unroadworthy vehicles that could be involved in completely avoidable collisions in the future."
