New cars may be able to go four years without having their first MoT instead of three, under Government plans.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a consultation on how the MoT test should be updated for the future, with the main proposal of pushing back the first test for new cars by one year.
Official data suggests most new vehicles pass their first MoT test at three years, hence the DfT believes the change will not impact road safety. It would also mirror regulations in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
The consultation is inviting views on what the frequency of MoT tests should be and how the MoT test can better monitor vehicle emissions, such as by testing for particulates. The prospect of testing EV batteries to ensure they’re safe and reliable will also be considered, as well as whether additional measures should be introduced to tackle excessively loud engines.
AA president Edmund King argued: “With one in 10 cars failing their first MOT, we strongly discourage the Government from extending a car’s first MoT to the fourth anniversary due to road safety concerns.
“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. Safety items like tyres and brakes can often be deficient after three years.”
The RAC’s head of road policy Nicholas Lyes added: “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.”
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