The data from the automotive repair and servicing company also shows that men are most likely to have neglected any issues – 24% of male motorists with a brake problem admitted to knowing about it for at least three months – compared to just 7% of women.

The study is all the more worrying as nearly one in five (18%) motorists said they had been in a car accident caused by braking errors. However, nearly three times as many people thought another driver’s braking was to blame for the accident, rather than their own (13% v 5%).

When asked why they haven’t done anything about their braking issues, nearly one in ten (8%) admitted to simply not knowing what to do about it, a quarter (26%) were worried about the expense of getting it fixed, and one in six (17%) said they didn’t think anything was wrong.

And following the Government’s announcement of its new focus on improving the safety of young drivers, it is notable that more than one third (36%) of 18-24 year old drivers have symptoms of brake problems on their car. This compares with just 3% for drivers over 65.