How a tiny crack on your wing mirror could land you a £2,500 fine and 3 points

IGNORING small car repairs on your vehicle could end up landing you with a hefty fine, and even cause your motor to fail its MOT.

Chipped windscreens and cracked mirrors may seem like minor problems because they don’t affect how the car runs, but damage to glass can actually pose a serious risk.

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Broken wing mirrors in particular can affect a driver’s ability to see what is happening around them, putting other road users in danger.

Driving with this sort of damage breaches the Road Traffic Act 1988, which says that a driver can be fined if “the condition of a motor vehicle is such that its use involves a danger of injury to any person”.

If pulled over by police, motorists could face whopping £2,500 fine and three penalty points on their licence.

And that’s if your motor even gets on the road in the first place.

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Turning up to an MOT with cracked or broken glass anywhere on your car will mean it is unlikely to be passed as roadworthy.

A failed test will see you lose your initial fee and keep your car off the road until the glass is fixed – not to mention force you to fork out for a second test.

Driving around with a cracked windscreen carries a £50 Fixed Penalty Notice, which might not seem like much.

But small cracks can easily spread across the entire windscreen at the slightest bump in the road, making your car defective and leaving you open to much larger fees.

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A broken windscreen will almost certainly see you fail your MOT, and can be costly if you have to replace the entire thing.

Repairing broken wing mirrors is usually quite cheap, and can be as little as £15 if you just need to repair the glass.

And for motorists that purchase their car through finance, damage to glass and mirrors can lead to additional fees when it comes time to hand back your motor at the end of the contract.

Jonathan Nolan, general manager at UK Carline, said: “When it comes to the cost of a fine compared to the cost of a repair, sometimes £50 doesn’t seem like much money.

“However, motorists should be aware of how these problems can deteriorate and therefore negatively affect the resale value of your vehicle, or lead to damage recharges from your finance company.

“If your car does go back to the finance company at the end of your contract with any of the above problems then you will be charged to have them fixed.

“Therefore, it is best to maintain a vehicle as and when problems arise to avoid fines from the police, penalty points and charges from your finance company, and to maintain a good value for the vehicle.”