The period before a car’s first Ministry of Transport (MoT) test will remain at three years, following a UK Department for Transport (DfT) consultation that considered increasing the wait to four years.
Most of those responding to the consultation were against the proposals on safety grounds, arguing that the savings to motorists were outweighed by the risk to road users and the test often highlights upcoming issues affecting the vehicle. A public survey for DfT by Populus also showed fewer than half of people were in favour of the change.
“We have some of the safest roads in the world, and are always looking at ways of making them safer,” said Roads Minister Jesse Norman. “Although modern cars are better built and safer than when the MoT test was last changed 50 years ago, there has been a clear public concern that any further changes don’t put people’s lives at risk.
“We are looking at further research to ensure the MoT test evolves with the demands of modern motoring.”
By law, all vehicles must be roadworthy, regardless of whether they have passed an MoT, and the content of the tests will not be changed.
