Failing Car Lights Put Road Users in Danger
An estimated 2.6 million cars are being driven illegally on the roads with defective lights, a study for Halfords has found.
Over one in ten vehicles (10.1%) checked across ten major UK cities was found to have a failed headlight, sidelight, rear or brake-light which would significantly increase the risk of an accident.
The scale of the problem is also reflected in MOT failure rates with 1.16 million cars tested in 2012 falling short of required standards because of the condition of their lights.
The Survey coincides with a Halfords wefit initiative to remind drivers to prepare their cars for winter weather and darker driving conditions. Halfords has thousands of trained colleagues who fit car bulbs, wiper blades and batteries at a much cheaper rate than going to a garage. In 2013 they carried out 2.6m jobs, fitting 35.2% of the wiper blade, car bulbs and car batteries Halfords sold, a 50.5% increase on the previous year.
Glasgow fared worst in the study, with just under one in eight of vehicles (13.3%) having defective lights. Newcastle was a close second with 13.1% of cars observed with blown bulbs.
London proved to have the best maintained vehicles with just 6.8% revealed with faulty lights, but even this would mean thousands of drivers in the capital were breaking the law and potentially causing a danger on the road.
Latest figures from the Department of Transport, compiled from police records, show that in 2010 357 accidents were blamed on vehicles not displaying lights at night or in poor visibility. Over 25,000 accidents were the result of drivers misjudging other vehicles’ speed, often as a result of failing to slow down.
During the study researchers monitored cars over a set period of time at busy junctions in the early evening rush hour and recorded the number of cars with faulty lights. The penalty for the offence is £60 and three points.
Missing or non-working brake lights, which can leave drivers unable to judge when the car in front is slowing, showed up as the biggest problem followed by non-functioning headlights.
Halfords urged drivers to have regular checks on both front and rear lights to ensure vehicles were as visible as possible.
Dave Poulter, Halfords Director of Trading for Auto said: “Usually you don’t know when a light has gone so regular checking is essential, especially in these increased hours of darkness and often more difficult and hazardous autumn and winter conditions.
“At Halfords we realise that replacing blown bulbs on vehicles is not easy and have designed our wefit service to provide a low cost option for motorists who need to replace their blown bulbs. Cars with defective lights can cause a danger on the roads, so it is important that if you cannot change the bulb yourself you have an expert do it for you.
“We know motorist have delayed essential repairs and many wait for the MOT but this is a false economy and such drivers risk falling foul of the law.”
Ends
Media contact:
Stuart Humphreys, Automotive PR Manager, T: 01527 513410, E: stuart.humphreys@halfords.co.uk
Editor’s notes
Vehicles were checked between the hours of 7.30 and 9pm after the clocks had changed and revealed 196 out of 2147 vehicles across the UK should not have been on the road due to the state of their lights. Translated into the total number of cars on the road this would mean 2.62 million had defective lights.
| City | No of cars checked | No with defective lights | % on road illegally |
| Glasgow | 203 | 27 | 13.3 |
| Newcastle | 214 | 28 | 13.1 |
| Liverpool | 196 | 25 | 12.7 |
| Manchester | 227 | 26 | 11.5 |
| Southampton | 223 | 23 | 10.3 |
| Birmingham | 228 | 23 | 10.1 |
| Leeds | 199 | 17 | 8.5 |
| Bristol | 211 | 17 | 8.1 |
| Nottingham | 226 | 17 | 7.5 |
| London | 220 | 15 | 6.8 |
| Total | 2147 | 218 | 10.1 |
The Group is the UK's leading retailer of automotive, leisure and cycling products and through Halfords Autocentres also one of the UK's leading independent car servicing and repair operator. Halfords customers shop at over 460 stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland and at halfords.com for pick-up at their local store or direct home delivery. Halfords Autocentres operates from around 300 sites nationally and offers motorists dealership-quality MOTs, repairs and car servicing at affordable prices.
The Halfords group strategy is based on three pillars:
· Supporting Drivers Of Every Car
· Inspiring Cyclists Of Every Age
· Equipping Families For Their Leisure Time
The Getting into Gear 2016 plan for the Retail business is based on executing in five key areas in order to deliver a significantly-enhanced customer experience:
· Service Revolution
· The H Factor
· Stores Fit To Shop
· 21stCentury Infrastructure
· Click With The Digital Future
Halfords employs approximately 12,000 colleagues and sells around 10,000 product lines in stores, increasing to around 30,000 lines online. The product offering encompasses significant ranges in car parts, cycling, in-car technology, child seats, roof boxes, outdoor leisure and camping equipment. Halfords own brands include Apollo and Carrera cycles, augmented by exclusive UK distribution rights for the premium-ranged Boardman cycles and accessories. In outdoor leisure, we sell a premium range of camping equipment including brands such as Gelert and Outwell. Halfords offers customers expert advice and a fitting service called "wefit" for car parts, child seats, satellite navigation and in-car entertainment systems, and a "werepair" service for cycles.