Most got three points which will stay on a licence for four years
More than 10,000 drivers in Britain were caught driving unroadworthy vehicles last year, an investigation has found. The RAC, which obtained the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) figures, warned that “far too many vehicles are unfit for the roads”.
Some 10,054 motorists were handed penalty points in 2025 for driving vehicles with problems such as defective brakes, tyres or steering. This was a reduction of 3,055 from the previous year, but the RAC claimed it is “hard to know” whether this was because of improved vehicle maintenance or fewer traffic officers on the roads.
The part of Britain with the most drivers of unroadworthy vehicles caught in 2025 was Scotland, with 1,244. It was followed by London (1,182), Yorkshire and the Humber (995) and the West Midlands (969).
Most cases of driving an unroadworthy vehicle result in three penalty points being issued, which stay on licences for four years. RAC mechanic of the year Jack Halstead said: “Far too many vehicles are unfit for the roads, posing a danger not only to the driver, but to other road users as well.
“Having bald tyres drastically reduces grip, greatly increases stopping distances, and raises the risk of blowouts. But whether it’s tyres, brakes, steering or something else, every mechanical component in a vehicle plays a critical role.
“And this is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg; with fewer police traffic units, it’s likely more offenders are evading officers and putting themselves and others at risk.”
