Road deaths are caused by drivers and not by poorly maintained cars

According to the Road Safety Authority (RSA), the National Car Test (NCT) is a preventative road-safety measure that ensures vehicles, particularly older ones, are in working order.

‘Road Collision Facts 2012’, published by the Road Safety Authority and based on statistics provided by the Gardai, shows that drivers are the cause of 86% of fatal road collisions, and that roads, the environment and cars are the cause of 3%.

However, in 2013 1,170,899 cars were tested, with a failure rate of 51.9%. The number one cause of NCT failure was faulty front suspension, followed closely by damaged tyres and lights.