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►More news arrived recently on updates to the MOT testing system in England, Scotland and Wales. The Department for Transport (DfT ) has launched a public consultation about its proposed revision(s), and you can have your say on the matter.
I will outline briefly what is happening and the reasons behind it all.
The main proposed revision is to change the date of a vehicle’s first MOTfour from three years to four. As far as I can tell, this is not a push for a 4-2-2 system (testing first at four years, then subsequently every two years thereafter that was debated about 11 years ago), but a 4-1-1 system, where annual testing will still be compulsor y on vehicles older than four years.
When I say vehicles, I mean cars, LCVs, vans and motorcycles only – as heavier freight and passenger carrying vehicles are subject to annual tests anyway.
Northern Ireland and some other European countries already operate a 4-1-1 system.
Various reasons are given for the proposed move to test cars at four years, rather than three. Some are valid reasons I think, but I will let you decide.
Obviously, the delay of a year in testing a new vehicle can lead to safety concerns – tyres being a top failure point – many motorists just jump into a modern ‘new ’ car and think it will go on forever without looking at its roadwor thiness. Of course, TPMS are fitted to all new cars, so tyre pressures can mostly be monitored from with the cabin, but wear and tear (cuts even) need a visual check.
One of the reasons given is that newer cars visit the main dealer once a year for servicing (under the manufacturer warranty), where defects should be spotted, making the MOT super fluous. They are aware though that metered braking tests can’t be executed in the service department.
Over my many motoring years, I’ve encountered people who think the MOT is a service – but that’s another story for another day!
With more cars coming off the production line with hybrid engines and the increase in BEVs, the MOT tester still has a job to do with these models, though the emissions testing equipment won’t be fired into life. Hybrids aren’t tested for emissions due to the nature of their operation – that’s been happening for 20-odd years now.
Ask any MOT tester and they should tell you that they ’ve seen a reduction in MOT failures over the past decade – not sure
