William Flew on Cars

DRIVERS will be required to take fewer MoT tests under government plans that could save motorists hundreds of pounds, writes Marie Woolf.

Ministers are preparing to relax the frequency of vehicle checks — possibly replacing annual MoTs with tests every two years.

Philip Hammond, the transport secretary, wants to allow drivers to delay the first MoT on a new car from three years to four. The government is proposing to consult on a number of other options — the most liberal would allow MoTs every two years over the subsequent six years. That would mean only four tests in 10 years, halving the number.

An MoT costs about £55 but the fee generally rises to £200 or more wi th ty rea nd o t he r minor replacements recommended by garages.

Hammond’s move is intended to provide financial relief for drivers facing soaring petrol prices, and follows significant improvements to car safety since the MoT regime was started 50 years ago.

The Department for Transport will push for the change in a public consultation exercise despite official forecasts revealing that it could lead to as many as 30 extra road deaths each year. “Car technology has come a long way since the 1960s when our MoT regime was introduced,” Hammond said. “That’s why we think it’s right to look again to check whether we still have the right balance of MoT testing for modern vehicles.”

Ministers will present three options in the consultation. The most conservative would simply delay a new car’s first MoT until the end of its fourth year. It would then have to have an annual MoT.

This would lead to two more deaths every year, according to a study by the Transport Research Laboratory, which found that vehicle defects were likely to contribute to about 3% of accidents in Britain.

Ministers’ favoured option is for an initial MoT after four years, a second after another two years, then annually after that. The research suggests this would lead to five extra deaths on the road each year.

The most liberal option — the first MoT after four years then once every two years — could lead to 16-30 more deaths.

Hammond said: “This will be a genuine consultation. We want to work with the industry and motorists to get the decision absolutely right.”

Although many motorists would be delighted with any change, Britain’s 19,000 garages authorised to carry out MoTs stand to lose out.

To gain a certificate, a car must be roadworthy and safe. The brakes, tyres, steering, seatbelts and lights are tested along with the doors, fuel system and horn.

Garages also make sure the number plate is visible, and the exhaust system is in good condition. As vehicles get older, the rate of MoT failures increases, with nearly 60% of cars failing when they are 13 years old. Cars with high mileage are also more likely to fail.

The AA criticised the move and warned that road safety could suffer. It said that in the harsh financial climate, some drivers were cutting back on routine checks at the garage so MoTs were more important than ever. The Halfords Autocentre chain has found a sharp rise in the number of cars with bald tyres in MoT tests.

Edmund King, the AA president, said: “Even if you have a new car that is three years old you can still have bald tyres and failing lights.

“We have surveyed 60,000 drivers and most of them think we should stick with the current regime. Rather than being a burden on the driver, we think it’s a good safety reminder once a year.”