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Tests demonstrate danger of poorly maintained vehicles

By Karl Peskett |

Western Australia’s motoring body, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), this week demonstrated the danger of a poorly maintained vehicle in tests at its Perth-based driver training centre.

The tests, which were conducted at 60km/h, simulated both wet and dry conditions, as well as the ability to swerve around objects. The results were worrying, to say the least.

A standard passenger car with worn shock absorbers, balding tyres and worn brake pads was used, and once data had been obtained was towed to a service centre where all faults were rectified.

The un-serviced car had a braking distance of 13.1m in the dry and 23.5m in the wet. With brakes, tyres and shock absorbers having been replaced, it registered a braking distance of 8.4m in the dry and 15.4m in the wet – a saving of 4.7m and 8.1m respectively.

RAC Head of Member Advocacy Matt Brown noted the obvious.

“Eight metres is a big distance and in a crash situation could be the difference between life and death,” Mr Brown said.

“The RAC tested a vehicle at 60km/hr but the reality is that many people will be driving at up to 110km/hr with heavily loaded vehicles when they go away for Easter, which means their stopping distance will be even greater.”

“Vehicle maintenance and servicing are not something that you can ignore and put off. It’s something that needs to be factored into the family budget and carried out when it’s due,” Mr Brown said.

Probably the more worrying thing is we and our families have to travel on roads with these sorts of cars running around. It’s another reminder that when we get behind the wheel we not only put our own lives at risk, but those of others

Reducing such a risk by maintaining our vehicles is a must.


 
  • Valet Dabess

    what… no video?

  • Baddass

    This indeed is a worry, when you consider how many unserviced cars there must be on the roads, but also old clunkers that don’t have the safety technology of today’s cars, which would help them avoid crashes. And how many new drivers drive old cars? Makes you wonder…

  • Shak

    Not only poor;y maintained vehicles, but also very well maintained Volvo’s!!!!

  • Ray Stone

    Any Government with the honesty to really want to save lives would introduce mandatory annual vehicle and driving tests for all drivers and vehicles. However, not a chance in hell of this happening, putting lives before votes is not going to happen. I challenge any politician, road safety “expert” or “speed kills” advocate to dispute the above.

  • Sam 300TD

    There should be more random vehicle checks. Its not only old cars. Some people run half flat, baldy tyres on a 12 month old 100k Euro car. Ignorance is bliss.

  • Grant

    Noting shaks comment , whats this drivel that everyone spouts about Volvos, and Volvo drivers. It seems ludicrous when these are very safe cars driven by people who value safety. Where is the research that shows Volvos and Volvo drivers are any worse than other cars or divers. This ridiculous urban myth needs , either to be substantiated or finally put to rest. PS Im not a Volvo driver( I actually have a VW transporter) however I certainly wouldn’t mind a Volvo, but Im quite put off by this rubbish.

  • Mariusz

    Somehow I don’t think it matters, most people smash on the brakes and the car will slide anyway, regardless of its tyres and suspension setup.

    What is required is proper driver training coupled with the good tyres, suspension etc.

    • Ray Stone

      ABS has been around for ages, cars don’t go into wild slides when the brakes are slammed on. However, agree good tyres and suspension will dramatically reduce stopping distance and help with swerve avoidance and recovery.

  • Hung Low

    You have got to question the mentality of these people who drive unroadworthy cars! especially packed full of children day in day out…………………why do they have the same rights on the roads as people who do the right thing by having some priority on safety and the welfare of their own passengers and other road users?
    If you cannot afford to maintain your car, do not drive the friggin thing!

  • Save it for the track

    Yep, I’ve defected many a new company car and prestige car where the ‘owner’ and/or driver wouldn’t know a tread wear indicator from a wiper blade, with all too many of these types of driver’s being ‘too busy’ to bother checking anything, most are lucky to even know where the fuel goes, and wouldn’t have a clue about oil, water or anything else.
    .
    As for those in the beaten up old dungers, with bald retreads, and oil leaking everywhere, with their kids not strapped in properly, well, the Police are then the worst in the world if we defect them.
    As one of the other correspondents pointed out, if one can’t afford the proper upkeep of a vehicle, don’t drive it. Better still, don’t try and own one.