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Changes to the MOT testing process?


The government have announced potential changes to MOT testing. Yesterday they published a document that highlighted potential changes and consultation on their proposals.


"The MOT test has been in place since the 1960s and the 3 year threshold for the first MOT test since the late 1960s. The MOT test was first introduced to assure the safety of a vehicle, in practice the effectiveness of safety-critical components such as tyres and brakes. In recent years, the concept of roadworthiness has expanded to encompass vehicle emissions and effects on the environment.


Since the MOT was introduced – and especially in recent years – there have been major advances in vehicle technology. These include the development of hybrid and electric vehicles; rapid progress in systems that automate actions such as parking or provide information to the driver. Looking to the future, rapid progress is being made in developing vehicles with self-driving features. It is therefore appropriate to consider whether changes need to be made to ensure that the system for assuring that vehicles are roadworthy remains fit for purpose.


This consultation document is seeking views on changes to roadworthiness testing. The first part considers the case for changing the date at which the first MOT is required and proposes that the date of the first MOT is changed from 3 to 4 years and some related changes. The second part of the consultation asks broader questions about the nature of the MOT – what is tested and how and the frequency of tests. We also ask whether there are other approaches that could achieve our road safety and environmental objectives."


It will be interesting to see where this leads to, Head of Roads policy for the RAC, Nicolas Lees said about some of the changes:


"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."


You can read more on the RAC website.

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