For most drivers, hanging on to a car indefinitely to get the maximum possible use out of it makes sense. If there’s still life left in the old thing, why put it out to pasture prematurely?
Logical enough, but holding out too long to scrap a car isn’t always advisable.
Cars in general are pretty good at giving a long list of indications the time has come to do the right thing. Some become unreliable, others noisy and uncomfortable, some even become glaringly unsafe and dangerously polluting. But even when a car really is on its last legs, it’s still tempting to keep it running for one more day…week…or month.
Whichever way you look at it, this is not a very good idea. If your car is beginning to display the warning signs of its imminent demise, it’s best to take action as soon as possible. Holding out may be a more appealing option, but there are reasons why it makes sense to scrap sooner rather than later.
For example:
It’s Safer
Driving a car that is past its prime is fundamentally unsafe. What many motorists fail to realise is that an MOT alone does not indicate that a car is safe to drive. Though the assumption is often made that if the car’s MOT is still valid, it’s probably safe to use.
It is the responsibility of every motorist to ensure that their car is in a safe enough working order to be driven on public roads. If not, it’s the driver that will be held liable, should anything go wrong.
Where a car is giving you less-than subtle hints about its deteriorating condition, using it out and about in public isn’t wise.
It’s Healthier
Driving a rundown car in fairly awful condition can be hazardous to your health in more ways than one. Of course, the obvious danger is the whole thing falling to pieces around you and causing a horrific accident. Other than this, it could be having a more silent impact on your health with dangerous emissions and fumes.
Something that applies to you, the passengers in your car and everyone else in the vicinity.
Again, the fact that your car’s MOT is still valid is largely inconsequential. It may have deteriorated significantly since the date of its MOT, and an MOT alone does not indicate a vehicle is safe to drive.
It Gets it Out of the Way
Last up, the fact that you’re pondering the whole thing means you’ve clearly acknowledged your car is reaching the end of the road. In which case, why not put it out of its misery and give yourself one less thing to worry about?
The longer you leave it, the longer it will be hanging over your head like a dark cloud. Rather than deadening yourself with the whole thing any longer, you may as well get it out of the way.
You’ll need to do it as some point, so there really is no time like the present!
