A pioneering study by the Department of Thermal Engines at the University of Málaga has scientifically proven that car speedometers do not show the correct speed of the vehicle in 100% of cases.
The study analysed over 100 cars of a dozen different brands and the results were very clear, the speedometers in all the vehicles were wrong.
The average error is around 8% but can be as high as 10% in some cases. A car whose speedometer is showing 120 kph is actually travelling at around 110 kph or less. The extensive tests were carried out in the speed range from 30 kph to 120 kph.
The report has also dispelled some myths such as digital speedometers being more accurate than analogue and the age of the car being an influence.
Incorrect tyre pressure was found to influence the speedometer readings by around 2 kph. The car found to have the least error was the Toyota Celica.