Thousands of drivers 'dodging NCT tests'

MORE than 45,000 cars over 12-years-old are not being submitted for obligatory safety tests, according to official estimates.

The company responsible for operating the National Car Test believes only 70% of pre-1992 registered cars are complying with NCT legislation.

The National Car Testing Service has also calculated that there is an overall non-compliance level of around 6% across all private vehicles - a figure which represents almost 100,000 cars on Irish roads.

NCTS results show that seven out of 10 of all pre-1992 registered cars on average fail the initial test - a failure rate over twice that of newer cars.

However, a spokesperson for the National Car Testing Service said the re-test pass rate for older cars of 87% was comparable with that for vehicles registered in the past decade.

The NCTS also insists that compliance levels have remained the same since 2001 when car owners were no longer required to provide a valid NCT certificate to renew their motor tax.

But documents released under the Freedom of Information Act show that a senior NCTS official last year told a meeting attended by officials from the Department of Transport and independent assessors that the company still favoured the link with motor tax.

However, it is believed that Transport Minister, Martin Cullen favours the extension of the penalty points system - with drivers who do not have a valid NCT disc facing a mandatory court appearance - as the best method of improving compliance.

An NCTS spokesperson pointed out that a 6% non-compliance level should be expected as it is similar to the estimated rate of motorists who drive without insurance.

"It is highly unlikely that car owners who don't have motor insurance will go for an NCT test," she said.

Compliance levels may also be affected by the perceived lack of enforcement and the fact that the absence of an NCT disc rarely affects insurance payouts.

Although, the Garda annual report does not provide a separate listing for offences related to the non-display of an NCT disc, it is understood there were only around 100 such fines issued last year.

A high-level insurance source also admitted that insurance companies "almost always" pay out compensation on vehicles, despite the fact they may not hold a valid NCT disc.

The latest NCTS figures show that the overall pass rate for the initial full test has fallen to the lowest level since 2000 at just 49%.

The overall pass rate in the first five months of 2005 remains at 90% - a figure which has remained consistent since 2002. However, the failure rate of 10% suggests that more than 60,000 cars which failed the initial test and subsequent re-test each year remain on the road with potentially dangerous defects.

Under national car test ruling in other EU countries such as Germany, vehicles which fail the test cannot be driven home.

Independent consultants are currently engaged in a mid-term review of the NCTS's 10-year franchise to operate the vehicle testing system.

However, a spokesperson for the National Safety Council said the NCT had been a major addition to improving road safety.