More than 10,000 drivers in Britain were caught driving unroadworthy vehicles last year, an investigation by the RAC has found. The motoring organisation obtained figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) showing that 10,054 motorists were handed penalty points in 2025 for driving vehicles with defects such as faulty brakes, bald tyres, or steering problems.
Regional Breakdown of Offences
Scotland recorded the highest number of offenders, with 1,244 drivers penalised. London followed closely with 1,182, while Yorkshire and the Humber had 995 cases, and the West Midlands saw 969. The figures represent a reduction of 3,055 from the previous year, but the RAC cautioned that the decline could be due to fewer traffic officers rather than improved vehicle maintenance.
Penalties and Risks
Most cases of driving an unroadworthy vehicle result in three penalty points, which remain on a driver's licence for four years. RAC mechanic of the year Jack Halstead warned: "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."
Halstead added that the official figures likely represent only a fraction of the true problem: "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."
