Doncaster named third worst place in Britain for car write-offs that are still on the road

Doncaster has been named as the third worst place in Britain for car write-offs that are still on the road.
A scrapped car awaits its fate in Doncaster.A scrapped car awaits its fate in Doncaster.
A scrapped car awaits its fate in Doncaster.

One in four used vehicles has a hidden history, according to vehicle background-checking website My Car Check - and our town is among the nation's worst, the survey has revealed.

It said that 25 per cent of used cars advertised for sale have either been stolen, have outstanding finance unpaid or been written off in an accident.

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A write-off doesn't necessarily mean a car can no longer be on the road - and buyers must now get their head round a change to written off vehicle categories that arrived yesterday.

The study found that more than a quarter of cars in Doncaster - 27.1% were classed as write-offs - putting it only behind Morden in South London and Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire.

The results are based on registered vehicles in the first half of 2017 where vehicles have been written off by an insurer.

The top 10 hotspots were released as new insurance write-off categories came into effect on Sunday, 1 October 2017.

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Following a consultation involving insurers, car manufacturers, the police and the salvage industry, the long-standing A, B, C and D write-off categories have been replaced with new codes.

In their place are:

Category A, or 'Scrap' cars, remain the most badly damaged vehicles. They can’t be repaired or even broken for spares.

Category B, or 'Break' cars, are again very badly damaged and beyond repair, but they can be ‘broken’ into parts for salvage and recycling.

Category S (formerly cat C), or 'Structural' cars have incurred damage to the basic structure that gives a car its strength. These ‘S’ cars can be fixed and re-sold, but you should ensure that the work has been checked by a qualified mechanic.

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Category N (formely cat D), or 'Non-structural' cars, are equivalent to current Cat D cars. Their damage isn’t to the core structure, but there might still be some safety-related parts in areas like suspension or steering that will need to be replaced.

UK write-off hotspots rankings

1. Morden, South London - 35.4%

2. Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire - 31.4%

3. Doncaster, South Yorkshire - 27.1%

4. Barking, East London - 25.0%

5. Northolt, West London - 24.2%

6. Canvey Island, Essex - 23.5%

7. Gravesend, Kent - 22.8%

8. Corby, Northamptonshire - 22.2%

9. Rochdale, Grtr Manchester - 21.7%

10. Ramsgate, Kent - 21.3%