Millions of vehicles remain on the road despite manufacturers issuing safety recalls, according to recent data.
When a safety recall is issued, manufacturers and dealerships reach out to vehicle owners to inform them that the vehicle needs to be recalled to fix particular issues in order to ensure it’s safe to be on the roads.
But it’s been revealed that over 3 million cars and vans were not recalled and the issued have still not been rectified, between the years of 2018 and 2023.
Why Have Vehicle Defects Not Been Rectified?
There are many reasons why vehicle defects might not be rectified, though it is the duty of manufacturers, brokers and dealerships to inform owners of safety recalls.
But when customer relationships aren’t properly maintained, whether that’s through customers changing address or contact details or anything else it results in vehicles remaining on the road despite safety recalls.
Interestingly, experts believe the total figure may be higher as not all data is recorded, which shows the extent of the issue.
It’s also believed that the government is considering changing the rules around MOTs to make a missed recall an automatic failure to prevent vehicles being on the road when they might present a safety issue.
A study from last year found that almost three-quarters of vehicles that have been recalled for various issues remain on the road without the problems being solved.
The most common issues relate to factory defects and often don’t pose a significant danger to drivers or other road users, but there sometimes recalls on critical components such as brakes, airbags and electrical systems.
The Future Of Road Safety
Vehicle and road safety has been a hot topic among road safety campaigners and the government in recent months, with key issues needing to be addressed.
Road death figures are a concern for the government as it looks to crack down on driving offences such as speeding, mobile phone use, drink and drug driving in a bid to improve road safety figures and act as a deterrent.
The introduction of an overarching road safety policy document as part of a national road safety strategy has long been mooted but there’s hope that could happen in the near future.
As we all begin to make the big switch from petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles to EVs and alternative fuels, it’s a good time to focus on improving safety on the roads for all road users.
The question is, what do you think needs to be done to improve road safety as more people than ever make more journeys than ever?
Pressure is being put on the government to address the issues, and smart motorways are at the top of the agenda with all new installations being put on hold while £900m is invested in improving safety measures on existing smart motorways.
What are the main areas of concern for you around road safety? What measures would you like to see implemented? Let us know in the comments below.
