Motoring News
<Back
to
News Index>
>>
09/September/2010
- VACC: One In Four Vehicles On Victoria’s Roads Is Unsafe
|
|
|
Five Point Safety Check - January to September 2010
|
VACC, the peak Automotive Industry body in Victoria is again highlighting the issue of vehicle safety. It
follows a recent Channel 7 'Today Tonight' program in which a
Queensland repairer claimed a quarter of vehicles in a Brisbane
shopping centre car park were unroadworthy. VACC has released its
third quarter Vehicle Safety figures, based on the Five Point Safety
Check. The data reveals that 27.93 per cent of vehicles on Victoria’s
roads are unsafe, mirroring the Today Tonight statistics. Of the 3,580
vehicles tested to date this year by VACC repairers 1,000 vehicles
failed the test. The Five Point Safety Check is an additional
check performed by participating VACC repairers when conducting a
vehicle service. They check the tyres, brakes, lights, steering and
restraints, free of charge. "Today Tonight was absolutely correct
to identify vehicle safety as a major concern," VACC Executive
Director, David Purchase, said. “It is a national issue and one
that is often overlooked because the focus has been on speeding or
alcohol or drug affected drivers. For years, VACC has been campaigning
for better vehicle safety. Our members have first-hand experience of
the damage that can be caused by an unsafe vehicle. Our members are the
ones who tow vehicles away from crash sites and they are the ones who
inspect vehicles on their hoists in the workshops. All too often, these
vehicles are clearly unsafe. "It is frustrating to know that
measures could be introduced to reduce these numbers, but the Victorian
Government has no appetite for the introduction of mandatory vehicle
testing. That is why VACC has introduced its own Five Point Safety
Check. "Frequent vehicle servicing is as close as we can get to
regular vehicle inspections but because services are not compulsory,
some motorists delay their service and others avoid them completely. "But
if a car is not serviced, bald tyres, faulty steering, broken lights,
worn brakes and damaged seat belts can go un-noticed. That makes a
vehicle dangerous to the driver, the passengers and other road users,"
Mr Purchase, said. <Back
to
News Index>
|
