MOT delay 'may put 225k dangerous cars on the road' each year

The Government’s recent proposal to extend the first MOT for cars and vans from three to four years ‘could put an additional 225,000 dangerous vehicles on Britain’s roads’ every 12 months, a new report warns.

The Department for Transport last month announced a consultation to extend the first MOT on new cars by 12 months to help save consumers money. It is also discussing with industry about changing the annual MOT thereafter to every two years.

However, Halfords says that records show that an average of 14 per cent of all vehicles currently fail their first MOT.

And with an average of 1.6million new motors hitting Britain’s roads annually for the past three years, it warns that almost a quarter of a million cars could be unfit for use each year if first MOTs are delayed by 12 months.

Halfords estimates that extending first MOTs for cars and vans from three to four years ‘could put an additional 225,000 dangerous vehicles on Britain’s roads’ annually 

The DfT is arguing that advances in vehicle technology – such as with electric cars and lane-assisted driving – mean the annual MOT, which has been in place since 1960, is no longer needed.

Changing MOTs from the third to the fourth year and then biennially thereafter would put Britain in line with the likes of Denmark, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal where this is already common practice.

The Government claims extending test schedules will collectively save the nation’s motorists around £100million by paying for a vehicle check-up once every two years rather than annually.

While this would be good news for consumers, the changes could be disastrous for members of the UK motor industry. 

A huge reduction in MOT revenue from annual checks could see many garages go bust, with the Government’s own internal assessment estimating that Britain’s 23,400 approved test centres could be starved of up to £123.6million a year. 

MOTs for cars are capped at a price of £54.85, with repair bills on top.

Drivers can be fined up to £1,000 for using a vehicle without a valid MOT and it will also invalidate their insurance.

The tests check a number of parts such as lights, seatbelts, tyres and brakes to ensure they meet legal standards.

The plan to make wholesale changes to test schedules has been described by motoring groups as the biggest shake-up of MOTs for decades.

However, some have warned that it could end the UK’s record for having some of the safest roads in Europe by increasing the likelihood of cars, vans and motorbikes being driven around with brakes and tyres which do not meet minimum legal requirements.

This would lead to thousands of cars ‘becoming death traps on wheels’, said AA president Edmund King last month.

RAC’s head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said the motoring organisation isn’t opposed to delaying a new vehicle’s first MOT but says there should be a requirement for particularly high mileage vehicles to be tested sooner.

Annual MOTs check a number of parts such as lights, seatbelts, tyres and brakes to ensure they meet legal standards. Some motoring groups say this is essential for road safety

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And the new analysis of the DfT data by Halfords, finding that 225,000 unfit cars could remain on the road for 12 months longer, shows that extending first MOTs from the third to the fourth year could result in a significant rise in casualties and collisions.

‘If the date of the first MOT is put back a year vehicles with worn tyres, faulty brakes and other dangerous faults could be on the road for another 12 months before these potentially lethal issues are identified,’ the company said.

Graham Stapleton, CEO of Halfords, added: ‘The government is right to look at ways to save motorists money, but that cannot come at the expense of safety.

‘There are other steps the Government could take to help reduce the cost of motoring, such as extending the 5p-a-litre cut on fuel duty,’ he said.

‘Many of the issues spotted at the first MOT are easy and inexpensive to fix, but if left to fester they could turn into an expensive repair, meaning it could be a false economy for many motorists.’

Drivers can be fined up to £1,000 for using a vehicle without a valid MOT and it will also invalidate their insurance

Vehicle defects linked to 26 deaths on our roads a year 

The DfT’s latest road casualty figures show 26 people were killed in crashes in Britain in 2021 when vehicle defects were a contributory factor. 

Recent analysis of official road safety data also reveals that defective and poorly-maintained vehicles were a contributory factor in a total of 1,759 of all road casualties recorded that year – an increase of 7 per cent on 2020 figures.

It uncovered that faulty brakes were by far the most common defect type, causing a total of 750 casualties in 2021 and being one of the causes of 10 fatalities, according to government records.

Tyres were the second most common defect linked to accidents and were among the contributing factors in 491 injuries.

However, worn and underinflated tyres were most commonly linked to causing deaths, with 12 people needlessly losing their lives in collisions involving vehicles with worn or illegal rubber.

Faulty steering and suspension also contributed towards 255 casualties and were linked to six fatalities in total in 2021.

While the DfT wants to delay MOT schedules, its latest road casualty stats showed a rise in the number of collisions where vehicle defects – such as badly worn tyres – are a contributory factor to injuries in crashes

And Halfords says that extending MOT schedules will have a wider impact on drivers’ running costs and the environment. 

Its research shows that poorly maintained engines, underinflated tyres and using the wrong motor oil ‘could cost motorists an average of almost £200 a year’ in excess fuel use. 

Drivers of light commercial vehicles could be burning up to £1,000 worth of fuel unnecessarily, it estimated.

The company also revealed that excess carbon emissions from poorly maintained petrol and diesel vehicles could be as high as 8.7 million tonnes per year.

DfT’s MOT consultation with industry extended  

The Independent Garage Association (IGA) and Scottish Motor Trade Association (SMTA) conducted a meeting with the DfT and Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to discuss the MOT consultation last week.

During the meeting, the DfT were asked why such a large and complex consultation covering 27 areas within the MOT test was published with only a six-week response period. 

They explained that ministers are ‘focusing on saving consumers money and wanted to use the consultation as an opportunity to evaluate if any areas of the MOT could contribute to further savings’.

When asked how they planned to proceed with so many areas under review at once, the DfT revealed there would be ‘further consultations based on the initial information and responses provided’, and that no immediate decisions were likely. 

When asked why the consultation could not be carried out over a three-month period, bearing in mind that no immediate action would be taken and further consultations would follow, no response was given. 

The DfT and DVSA has held meetings with the Independent Garage Association in England and Scottish Motor Trade Association to discuss extending MOT schedules 

However, they were able to confirm that no legislation changes will be implemented from 1 April 2023, which was included within their impact statement.

Th IGA said that all parties agreed to continue working closely at every stage of the consultation process to ensure that public safety and the needs of the industry are being thoroughly considered.

Stuart James, IGA chief executive, said: ‘We appreciate the DfT being open about many of the questions raised and understand that cost implications for consumers and advances in vehicle technology are the main drivers behind this consultation. 

‘However, the UK’s roads are amongst the safest in the world, and we would like to believe that the Government would not make decisions that would cause any increase in road casualties.

‘We believe it may have been more appropriate to break the consultation down into smaller subject areas to ensure that road safety will not be impacted by any of the many changes being considered. We will be working non-stop to ensure that road safety and the public are protected as the consultation progresses.’

The initial consultation process with industry was due to close on 26 February, but the DfT has confirmed it has extended this to 22 March.

‘After seeing the incredible support for our campaign, and meeting with the DfT and DVSA in conjunction with the SMTA, I am delighted that our collective concerns have been listened to,’ said James.

‘The initial six-week consultation period was far too short to thoroughly consider the impact that the many complex topics covered within could have on road safety. 

‘Allowing a further four weeks to the consultation period will enable stakeholders time to appropriately consider and respond to the extensive detail contained within the consultation documents.

‘While this is good news, we will not relax our efforts to ensure that public are protected from the proposed move to a 4-1-1 MOT frequency, and will continue to work with the DfT throughout the consultation period and beyond.

‘I encourage everyone to respond to the MOT consultation with their views, and sign the automotive trade bodies’ petition to stop the 4-1-1 MOT.’