Owners of new cars, motorbikes and vans could be permitted to delay their vehicle’s first MOT by a year under Government plans to cut costs for drivers (John Stillwell/PA)
(Picture: PA Archive)Motorists may not have to put their car through a MOT test until it is four years old, under new proposals from the Government.
A consultation has been launched on replacing the requirement for an annual vehicle “health check” after three years with one that starts after four years.
It will also consider whether the requirement for an annual MOT should be retained.
Garages are allowed to charge up to £54.85 for a MOT, though many discount the rate and the average bill is about £40 – though the total repair bill can rise dramatically if faults are discovered.
The Department for Transport says advances in car technology make the safety checks less crucial and suggests the change could save drivers £100m a year in MOT fees.
But the AA motoring group said one in 10 cars failed their first MOT and was strongly opposed to changing the current rules on road safety grounds. It said tyres and brakes often failed safety checks after three years.
AA president Edmund King said: “The MOT plays a vital role in ensuring that vehicles on our roads are safe and well maintained, and while not a formal recommendation, we totally oppose any change from an annual MOT.
“Last year, 83 per cent of drivers said that the annual MOT was ‘very important’ for keeping our cars and roads as safe as possible, which highlights why an annual MOT must remain in place.
“When this proposal was last considered in 2017-18, the four-year policy did not obtain public support - with many citing concerns over vehicle safety as the main reason for opposing the move. We do not believe this to have changed over time.”
The DfT said it was reconsidering the rules in light of advances to vehicle technology and the growing popularity of hybrids and fully-electric vehicles.
It said emissions monitoring – part of the test – could be improved to tackle pollution. This could include testing for particulate emissions and nitrogen oxides.
The consultation will consider whether electric vehicle batteries should be tested to improve the safety and reliability of EVs.
It will also consider if additional measures should be introduced to tackle excessively loud engines.
The MOT rules for cars, vans and motorbikes will be reviewed – but the annual testing of lorries, coaches and buses will be retained.
The MOT was first introduced in 1960, when cars were tested after 10 years. The three-year rule was introduced in 1967.
But countries such as Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal test after four years – as does Northern Ireland.
About 30m MOT tests are carried out each year in Great Britain – including about 2.6m on three-year-old cars.
The DfT consultation documents state: “The test provides a basic level of assurance to drivers about the safety of their vehicles. It also provides a check of the emissions from a vehicle. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the requirement to obtain an MOT test certificate was suspended for six months.
“Since the 1960s there have been major advances in vehicle manufacture. Vehicles are better built, making them more resilient to wear and tear. There are also huge advances in systems providing safety information to the driver. It is therefore appropriate to consider whether an MOT test on three-year-old vehicles remains necessary.”
RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “While we’re not opposed to delaying a new vehicle’s first MOT, we believe there should be a requirement for particularly high mileage vehicles to be tested sooner. If the Government is looking to improve the MOT, now is the ideal time to take into account how much a vehicle is driven, alongside the number of years it’s been on the road.
“We’re also disappointed the Government is still entertaining the idea of increasing the time between MOTs. Our research clearly shows drivers don’t agree with this and believe it’s dangerous. It would also likely increase the number of unroadworthy vehicles on our roads – putting lives at risk – and not save drivers any money as they would likely end up with bigger repair bills as a result.”
Eric Smith, MOT scheme manager at Kwik Fit, the UK’s largest MOT tester, said: “We don’t believe that delaying a car’s first test beyond three years is a risk worth taking. The Government’s own forecasts show that this will lead to an increase in road casualties and also cars running with illegal emission levels.
“The reality is that the annual MOT fee is a very small proportion of a driver’s annual expenditure and the test supports drivers with a timely and regular check on important safety components – not least the condition of tyres.
“Our experience shows that an annual check remains vital in not only improving the safety of our roads but extending vehicle life and reducing drivers’ overall maintenance costs.”
