With the recent end of British Summer Time (BST), millions of UK motorists will return to driving in the dark. Many of them, however, may be at greater risk of an accident due to the number of motorists that are driving in the dark without fully functioning headlights.
The car parts retailer Halfords has revealed that it conducted research at the end of British Summer Time last year. From it, the company found that one in ten vehicles in Britain had a fault with their lights which would increase their risk of accident.
During the investigation, 2,147 vehicles were checked at busy junctions between 7.30pm and 9pm. Of all of those vehicles investigated, 218 (or just over 10 per cent) of them were found to be unsuitable for road use due to the state of their lights.
Halfords’ car bulb expert, Paul Tomlinson, commented: “At this time of year poor visibility is common on the roads and with the clocks going back it's even more crucial that drivers are extra vigilant and do their best to see and be seen.
“Driving with defective lights can be risky. Poor lighting and defective car bulbs can make judging gaps and overtaking a real hazard. Broken brake lights can give drivers behind less time to react.”