Put the Brakes On

Which asks if faulty Vauxhall handbrakes are to blame for ‘roll-away’ accidents?

Drivers are blaming Vauxhall handbrakes for a series of ‘roll away’ accidents that have seen cars release themselves and crash. According to a Which?, report more than a dozen cases involving both Vauxhall Vectras and Signums that have careered into other cars, trees and houses have been reported.

The government’s car safety watchdog, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (Vosa), says it is investigating several cases but to date has found no problem with the design or construction of handbrakes. Vauxhall told Which? it was aware of a small number of incidents. The company is now planning to inform all Vectra and Signum owners about the correct way to put on the handbrake.