More than three million death trap vehicles are on the road

Nearly three million vehicles that have been recalled over potentially lethal faults are still on the road.

The number of cars, vans, lorries and buses that have been flagged up over serious safety fears has seen a dramatic surge, figures show.

But a total of 2,988,543, including 2.4million cars, have not yet been repaired, the Government's vehicle safety watchdog found. 

It means one in 13 licensed vehicles are the subject of a safety recall notice that has not been acted on.

A number of cars have burst into flames with a further three million faulty vehicles still on the road

A number of cars have burst into flames with a further three million faulty vehicles still on the road

The figures come as ministers consider stopping drivers passing their MOT if they do not bring their vehicles in for repair to deal with problems.

Safety recalls are issued by manufacturers when there is a potentially dangerous fault in a particular make or model. 

They have to send a letter to all affected drivers advising them to book their vehicle in at an approved garage to be fixed free of charge. 

But officials have become increasingly concerned that huge numbers of drivers are either ignoring recall letters or forgetting to take action.

Labour MP Andy Slaughter, who has campaigned for tougher rules over recalls, said: 'The figure of three million is staggering and shows that unsafe vehicles driving on our roads is now all too common. This has reached crisis levels.'

The data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) revealed that over the last five years there have been 1,351 separate safety recalls affecting 9.2million vehicles. But just under a third have yet to be fixed. 

Labour MP Andy Slaughter has campaigned for tougher rules over vehicle recalls and said it has reached 'crisis level'

Labour MP Andy Slaughter has campaigned for tougher rules over vehicle recalls and said it has reached 'crisis level'

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