Annual MOTs could be axed

[Unravel_Morrison]

FFS is this the best the great minds in Government can come up with. I might try to book a foriegn holiday with my annual £27.43 saving.

I would suggest this will put a lot of garages out of busines as they rely on a steady stram of MOT bookings per day/week/month.

Annual MOT could be axed to help with cost of living crisis

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has the raised possibility of bi-annual tests, but will repair bills go up instead?

www.mylondon.news

Annual MOT could be axed to help with cost of living crisis
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has the raised possibility of bi-annual tests, but will repair bills go up instead?
Drivers would only need to take their car for an MOT every two years if a suggestion by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was taken up by the Government. At the moment, cars over three years old need a current MOT certificate which must be renewed every year.

The idea of changing that requirement to every two years comes as the Government seeks 'innovative ways' to help households with the cost of living crisis. Energy bills have soared and inflation is rising as families face a financial squeeze.

The Government pegs the annual cost of an MOT at a maximum of £54.85, although repair work to make it pass can make motorists pay a lot more. The BBC has reported that Mr Shapps wants to examine the possibility of extending renewal times to help drivers.

Having an MOT test every other year, would save motorists £27.43 a year. The AA motoring group has said changing the requirement could end up costing motorists more.

This won't end up happening.

They're not actually serious about doing anything regarding the cost of living - the meeting yesterday was the first held in 6 months.

Anything that costs the Treasury any money won't be allowed.

You'll get a few suggestions floated over the next week or two that makes it sound like they're doing things, but hardly anything will be done.

 

[ThatFragranceGuy]

Not sure that’s the hottest take on the matter.

You may have been driving around for weeks or months but your chances of crashing are higher etc

Hottest take? Not sure how that was a hot take. We already do not MOT classic cars, are they somehow immune to issues with age? Not convinced that making minor repairs every 2 years instead of 1 year is going to lead to massive deaths.

Only 15 states in USA have vehicle inspections France operates a 2 year system, as does Italy, Germany and Spain.

World won't end

 

[Unravel_Morrison]

You'll also notice that most things they suggest will be to appeal to their own voter base, even if they don't end up doing anything.

 

[Cardiffdaffs]

Why don't they kill off a few thousand old aged pensioners and cut the pension bill a bit? Oh wait.......

 

[Unravel_Morrison]

If they came out and said "We are going to make the actual MOT stricter and then allow 2 years the validity length" then I think that's fair enough, but they're not saying that.

 

[Unravel_Morrison]

Weren't they also thinking of reducing the amount of adults needed to look after children in the hope that childcare costs could come down?

Yes; they tried it under Cameron and the childcare industry and parents rejected it.

It's another stupid idea.

 

[hewielewie]

Yes; they tried it under Cameron and the childcare industry and parents rejected it.

It's another stupid idea.

I am sure there were other ideas mooted

 

[ForssAwakens]

We already do not MOT classic cars, are they somehow immune to issues with age? Not convinced that making minor repairs every 2 years instead of 1 year is going to lead to massive deaths.

Only 15 states in USA have vehicle inspections France operates a 2 year system, as does Italy, Germany and Spain.

World won't end

The world won’t end But more people would die.

For example U.K. has 27 death per million and Germany 39. Very basic overview and not necessarily down to MOT not as regular.

 

[Muttley]

So a mahoosive saving of about a quid per month over two years.

That's it...

Anyone stupid enough to vote for this criminal cabal needs to look deep into their blackened soul.

 

[ThatFragranceGuy]

The world won’t end But more people would die.

For example U.K. has 27 death per million and Germany 39. Very basic overview and not necessarily down to MOT not as regular.

Germany also has the autobahn.

 

[Unravel_Morrison]

I don't mind them coming up with ideas but at least think about them properly; it's what they get paid for and why they have a staff to research their viability. There are intended and unintended consequences of every policy that they consider and/or implement.

This shouldn't be governing by brainstorming. It very much shows the laziness of this particular PM and his Cabinet, actually probably his entire party.

Andrea Leadsom suggested on Conservative Home that the way to deal with the border in between GB and NI was to make the whole of NI a Freeport.

NI is too big an area to be a Freeport and what this would do is replace one border with two.

 

[Unravel_Morrison]

Germany also has the autobahn.

Only one eighth of which are derestricted.

 

[Unravel_Morrison]

There's actually one thing they've announced today that makes sense.

They're allowing new aviation staff to start initial training before they get their security clearance, but not allowing them to complete the course, including the security parts, until they get that clearance.

 

[SmallTown]

It isn't the £27 test cost that hurts wallets, it's the £350 bill you have to pay for various things on older cars. Are they really all critical things to repair given that you've been driving around like that for weeks/months anyway?

For an MOT yes. Given it's a roadworthiness certificate

 

[ForssAwakens]

Germany also has the autobahn.

Okay a bit more research on the matter and Britain has one of the best road safety in the world. America you quoted has 5 times the deaths the U.K. has

 

[SmallTown]

Okay a bit more research on the matter and Britain has one of the best road safety in the world. America you quoted has 5 times the deaths the U.K. has

till doubling the MOT time will help knock us off this league table. Funny how the Tories talk so much about being "world leading" But when we actually are, they want to damage that

 

[asredastheycome]

I wonder how many people , who are not mechanically minded, rely on the annual MOT to highlight issues such as defective tyres or brakes? and otherwise would be driving around putting themselves and others at risk?

I was a time served motor mechanic many years ago but I as you posted rely on my MOT to highlight issues.

 

[ThatFragranceGuy]

Okay a bit more research on the matter and Britain has one of the best road safety in the world. America you quoted has 5 times the deaths the U.K. has

i didn't say let's go to the American system, just pointed out they don't have any tests at all. It's difficult to compare accident between national due to the variety of different laws and other factors that impact safety deaths such as speed limits, number of vehicles on the road, road density, number of lanes etc as well as the initial process to get your licence in the first place will all play a part.

Countries with similar death rates to the UK include Switzerland, Sweden and Norway, which operate 2 yearly cycles in Norway, Sweden once after 4 years, then after 2 years and once every 14 months after, and Switzerland once after 4 years, then 3 years later, then once it's 7 years old it's every 2 years

Table below lists causes of accidents.



"Vehicle defects were a cause in 1,202 UK car accidents a year in 2020 which represents 2% of car accidents. This includes defective or under inflated tyres (357 accidents), defective lights or indicators (145), defective brakes (470), defective steering or suspension (180), defective or missing mirrors (9) and overloaded or poorly loaded vehicle or trailer (90)."

That's the same 2% mechanical failure rate as america has actually, so I guess it comes down more to driver awareness and training than it does how often your car goes in for an MOT.

 

[Norfolkred1]

So I bet the braindead politicians behind would be happy to fly on a jet that has not been serviced for 2 years, I thought not.

 

[Unravel_Morrison]

i didn't say let's go to the American system, just pointed out they don't have any tests at all. It's difficult to compare accident between national due to the variety of different laws and other factors that impact safety deaths such as speed limits, number of vehicles on the road, road density, number of lanes etc as well as the initial process to get your licence in the first place will all play a part.

Countries with similar death rates to the UK include Switzerland, Sweden and Norway, which operate 2 yearly cycles in Norway, Sweden once after 4 years, then after 2 years and once every 14 months after, and Switzerland once after 4 years, then 3 years later, then once it's 7 years old it's every 2 years

Table below lists causes of accidents.
View attachment 37863


"Vehicle defects were a cause in 1,202 UK car accidents a year in 2020 which represents 2% of car accidents. This includes defective or under inflated tyres (357 accidents), defective lights or indicators (145), defective brakes (470), defective steering or suspension (180), defective or missing mirrors (9) and overloaded or poorly loaded vehicle or trailer (90)."

That's the same 2% mechanical failure rate as america has actually, so I guess it comes down more to driver awareness and training than it does how often your car goes in for an MOT.

Bottom line is; does this change make the roads more safe or potentially less safe? Some of those reasons above could be partly down to car maintenance. Could those losses of control and slippery roads be partly down to tyres being balder than they otherwise would've been or suspension/chassis underperformance?