Car MOTs every 2 years, rather than yearly

66Mustang

Just read that as part of cost of living plan the government are said to be considering making cars that require an MOT be tested every 2 years rather than the current yearly test.

Car owners would save the ~£50 test fee every other year so £25 a year averaged.

On one side cars are a lot safer and generally are better engineered and more reliable and resistant to things like rust these days. The cost saving although minimal would be welcome to a lot of people.

On the other side, many people don’t bother, or are unable, to check their cars at all and only pick up problems at the MOT test. Lots of cars fail on things like tyre tread or lights not working which should really be rectified immediately, not at the MOT test. To allow these people to go potentially up to 2 years with unsafe cars could be concerning.

What are peoples thoughts?

onebigvoice

66Mustang said:

Just read that as part of cost of living plan the government are said to be considering making cars that require an MOT be tested every 2 years rather than the current yearly test.

Car owners would save the ~£50 test fee every other year so £25 a year averaged.

On one side cars are a lot safer and generally are better engineered and more reliable and resistant to things like rust these days. The cost saving although minimal would be welcome to a lot of people.

On the other side, many people don’t bother, or are unable, to check their cars at all and only pick up problems at the MOT test. Lots of cars fail on things like tyre tread or lights not working which should really be rectified immediately, not at the MOT test. To allow these people to go potentially up to 2 years with unsafe cars could be concerning.

What are peoples thoughts?

  Why were MOT's put up in the first place?  Since MOT's find things that some like tracking and worn tyres are not always looked at unless there is a problem with the car?
  I thought we were all trying to put Cycle lanes in the roads around Britain to try to reduce the Carbon Emissions.  Here in Cardiff we are also having sections of of road like the rest of the country, eventually, a reduction in the speed limit to 20 MPH this also to limit accidents or there outcome and would also have more chance of surviving the 20 MPH restriction.
  If you go slower then there is less wear and tear of braking/accelerating and tyre wear. 
I remember like most when they said diesel is the way to go, 15 years later its, not any more?
  How will an ELECTRIC car be more economical when you cannot gauge how much the price of electric has gone up so much over the last few weeks?   When I was buying Gas/Petrol for my car it was 19 PENCE A LITRE, I saw it the other day at 93 PENCE A LITRE?
  Electric cars use the same electric that you use in the house so when the government goes to recoup costs, all electric will go up making it worse for the consumer as we can't manage the price now.

woodbine

Seems the govt. are looking at ways they can save us money without it cost them anything, good luck with that.
But I suppose changing MOT's to two years would be a start.

janer1967

Will end up the police doing more spot checks and pulling cars over for lights being out and checking tyre treads which will result in more fines back into gov pocket 

On the whole not bad thing apart from as johhlighted those who don't check safety of their car

calcotti

janer1967 said:

Will end up the police doing more spot checks and pulling cars over for lights being out and checking tyre treads which will result in more fines back into gov pocket 

Only if they have the resources, which is questionable.

66Mustang

woodbine said:

Seems the govt. are looking at ways they can save us money without it cost them anything

I thought this too.

The govt. could put the same saving in peoples pockets without the safety concerns by keeping the test yearly but halving the price cap and subsidising garages, but that would obviously cost. By doing it their way it's more or less free to them.

leeCal

I don’t think skipping the mot for a year is a good idea at all. If a car had brakes as an advisory for instance those could wear down considerably and cause problems. Even tracking can be problematic in icy or snowy conditions. and all for twenty five quid! Not worth it in my opinion.

id rather see people fined for parking opposite junctions and on bends and other daft places and that money used to reduce car tax, though probably completely impracticable as the police have other things to do these days. 

A windfall tax tax on oil companies would be a good start I think.

Jo_2022

I really like the discussion topic. In my perspective, it’s a safety issue having MOT Tests every two years. The reasoning behind it does not seem sustainable. 

Sandy_123

Apart from everything above, the garages that rely on MOT for their lively hood,  will struggle financially.  I prefer testing to remain at yearly, I don't drive but my sons do,  I'm happy when their cars are all checked and safe.

onebigvoice

janer1967 said:

Will end up the police doing more spot checks and pulling cars over for lights being out and checking tyre treads which will result in more fines back into gov pocket 

On the whole not bad thing apart from as johhlighted those who don't check safety of their car

  In Australia, they do this any way since you should not be driving on a road which your vehicle is unsafe, not only to other users but to you.  If your brakes fail you can guarantee that you end up with a few bruises and a pranged wing, but what you hit will be demolished...  And it could be me.
  They carry a little wheel which slides under the car for the height restriction laws and to stop people lowering their cars which become dangerous when at speed hit speed bumps and knock off exhausts or bottom on the tyres and scuff the edge until their is no tread and they can see the canvas or wire sticking through, then speeding up the motorway a blow out causes carnage for other road users.
  A yellow sticker is placed in the passenger side window called a defective vehicle sticker and lists all the defects found.  The car has, depending on the problems, 10 days to get them fixed and they have to get them done at a MOT station, which will do the work, and the only person that can take the sticker off is the officer that put it on the screen.
  You go to the stipulated station, to have it removed and then you carry on.
  And by the way, you get a fine to appear in court and also get demerit points or penalty points on your licence, which are a lot stricter than here. 
  examples:  Get stopped on a spot check and there is beer in the passenger foot well, classed as drink driving as you have the opportunity to drink.  same as you get caught behind the wheel with the key in the ignition here and are parked up.  Beer should be bagged ( another offence carrying beer in public) ( also passengers drinking in the car while in motion,) and put in the boot.
  So if you want these laws here I would think again, and anyway you should keep your car road worthy for everyone's sake.