More than half the cars tested in County Galway failed their NCT last year.
Just over 100,000 National Car Tests were performed in Galway’s three NCT centres during 2024, with a pass rate of 49 per cent. Major fails accounted for 44 per cent of all NCT tests, while a shocking seven per cent – almost 7,400 Co Galway tests – were considered ‘Failed Dangerous’.
In Galway city, 55,000 inspections were carried out last year; 23,000 in Tuam, 17,000 in Ballinasloe and almost 6,000 in Clifden.
Ballinasloe had the highest pass rate of 58 per cent, followed by Tuam (48 per cent ), Galway city (47 per cent ), and Clifden (45 per cent ).
Nationally, tyres are the leading cause of 'Fail Dangerous' results, often due to tread depths being below the legal limit of 1.6mm.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA ) is urging vehicle owners to take "year-round responsibility" for maintaining their cars, rather than relying on the NCT to identify faults.
The NCT is designed to ensure vehicles are roadworthy to use at the point in time which the test is taken.
There was a total of 1.7 million vehicles tested in 2024, an increase of 144,000 vehicles from 2023. The national pass rate was 51 per cent.
"Maintaining your vehicle is a year-round responsibility," said Brendan Walsh, chief operations officer of the RSA. "We use our vehicles for work, and to transport our families, so ensuring our vehicles are maintained to a high standard should be a year-round focus - not something to focus on only before your NCT," he said.
In 2024, 7.4 per cent of vehicles tested received a 'Fail Dangerous' result. This is an increase from the 2023 figure of 6.9 per cent.
"Regular upkeep ensures your car is safe, roadworthy, and operating efficiently at all times. Proactively addressing known issues before your test improves your chances of passing and helps the NCT system operate more efficiently, freeing up capacity for others," said Walsh.