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Shopping trolley fails MOT
By Standard Reporter Last updated at 00:00am on 10.10.02Despite being 65 years old, the supermarket trolley design is still far from perfect, independent research proved today.
The modern-day shopping trolley failed its MOT in rigorous tests aimed at identifying dodgy wheels and steering.
Conducted to mark the 65th anniversary of the trolley, Britain's leading supermarkets were asked to submit a sample for two days of intensive testing. Only Safeway refused. Each trolley was tested by a panel, including a housewife, a racing driver, a design engineer and a mechanic.
Trolleys were filled with groceries and put through a 10-point evaluation, examining manoeuvrability, sturdiness and the traditional "mind of its own" problem.
Out of 250 points, the best trolley only achieved 174, while the worst scored 146.
A spokesman for the panel said: "You would think it was a fairly simple thing to get right for a short journey around a supermarket - but millions of people who use a shopping trolley know it can be a nightmare."
The Tesco trolley scored the best, with 174 points, followed by Somerfield (161), Asda (160), Sainsbury's (156) and Waitrose (146).
