Vehicle safety and maintenance must remain at the forefront of every motorist's mind as Australia's workforce gets back on the road again.
A recent poll, conducted in VACC member workshops, revealed up to 50 percent of vehicles inspected had one or more roadworthy issues. The most common faults identified were:
- Tyres (wear and using the wrong type or size)
- Brakes (undersize rotors or discs)
- Suspension (modified components)
- Structure (accident damage)
- Lighting (ineffective, wrong direction or non-functioning globes)
- Seatbelts (non-compliant).
In another Chamber survey, 25 percent of the nearly 2189 vehicles inspected failed a basic five-point safety check (brakes, windscreens, seatbelts, tyres and lights).
With the average age of a vehicle being 10.4 years and VicRoads issuing nearly 50,000 defect notices annually, VACC is reminding Australian motorists – particularly those whose vehicles have remained dormant during the last few months – that local automotive businesses are open and offering their expertise, including safety inspections and regular servicing. Financial stresses and difficulties are affecting many people across the country, but it is important that automotive remains an essential service and a priority.
Furthermore, in a bid to better protect Australia's 15 million motorists, VACC is calling on the government to revisit the case for introducing annual roadworthy testing.