DRIVERS in some of Scotland’s largest cities are the least likely to check whether cars they are looking to buy have shady histories, new figures from the RAC published today indicate.
Glasgow is joined by Edinburgh and Perth as the top three locations where drivers are most prepared to ‘risk it’ by not checking the history of a vehicle they’re interested in, followed by Sunderland and Newcastle in the north-east of England.
Analysis of RAC data – which it said was based on the sales of thousands of RAC Vehicle History Checks between July 2018 and July 2019 then weighted to full-time licence-holders in cities in Great Britain – shows drivers in these cities are around half as likely to get a check compared with those who live in Birmingham, Bradford and Truro, with the Cornish city being the home of Britain’s savviest used car buyers.
Comprehensive vehicle history checks identify if a vehicle has been stolen, written off or is even still owned by a finance company, regardless of how it is advertised by the seller.
According to the RAC’s analysis, the cities where drivers are least likely to buy a vehicle history check are:
1. Glasgow
2. Edinburgh
3. Perth
4. Sunderland
5. Newcastle
6. Aberdeen
7. Lancaster
8. Durham
9. Inverness
10. Liverpool
The locations where drivers are most likely to buy a vehicle history check are:
1. Truro
2. Bradford
3. Birmingham
4. St Albans
5. Chelmsford
6. Coventry
7. Bristol
8. Plymouth
9. Leicester
10. Gloucester
RAC Motoring Services spokeswoman Sophie Steane said: ‘A comprehensive vehicle history check is an extremely low-cost way for any driver to help satisfy themselves that their next car purchase won’t turn out to be a dud.
‘Important information about a car’s past, such as whether it has previously been written off after an accident, or if it’s still owned by a finance company, could help a buyer work out whether it is one they want to spend their money on or if it’s safer just to walk away. After all, a few red flags could be a sign that there are other, undisclosed issues with a vehicle.’
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