George Osborne’s latest budget has shown a proposal to increase the period before a new vehicle’s first MOT test from 3 years to 4 years. It is claimed that doing so will save motorist more than £100 million per year.
Opposition from the RMI
The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) and Warranty Direct immediately spoke out against the proposal, claiming that they opposed any extension that could jeopardise road safety. David Gerrans, the managing director of car warranty specialists Warranty Direct, claimed that the wait should not be increased as 3 years is a landmark age for a car: ‘In most cases, it stops being covered by the manufacturer’s warranty and things start going wrong and wearing out.’ This claim is not without its basis; statistics show that almost 20% of today’s cars fail their first MOT test.
A similar proposal was put forward in 2007, with the government debating reducing the frequency of MOTs to every 2 years and having the first MOT being undertaken after 4 years rather than 3 years. This proposal was met with mass disapproval. What Car? were very vocal in expressing their concern over the proposal, claiming that the predicted £465 million a year saving for motorists was unrealistic as garages would be forced to raise their prices to combat decreased custom. Steve Fowler, editor of What Car?, summarised his opposition to the proposal in a succinct manner: ‘Although modern cars are more reliable, that shouldn’t be confused with safety. This proposal has no safety or financial benefits for any road user.’
Increased risk of road accidents & deaths
Worryingly, all statistics regarding this proposal point to the likelihood of increased road accidents and deaths. Research undertaken by the MOT Trade Forum in 2007, showed that if the proposal was approved there could be up to 100 more road deaths and many more injuries on the road each year. Gerrans, of Warranty Direct, expressed concern that pushing back the first MOT for new cars will encourage motorists to postpone necessary maintenance work. This is worrying as 3% of all fatal accidents are caused by vehicle defects – a figure that will only increase if motorists aren’t taking care of repairs as regularly.
Increased road funds
The budget also stated that from 2020/21, all funds from Vehicle Excise Duty will be invested back into the roads – something which has not happened since the Finance Act of 1936 saw the ‘Road Fund Licence’ adapted into the currently used Vehicle Excise Duty.
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