First MoT could be delayed to cut costs for drivers

Owners of new cars, motorbikes and vans could be permitted to delay their vehicle’s first MoT by a year, under plans to cut costs for drivers.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is consulting on proposals to require most vehicles to have their first MoT four years after they are registered.

Views on the frequency of subsequent checks – which are now compulsory every 12 months – are also being sought.

Last April, Boris Johnson’s cabinet debated renewing MoTs every two years.

Under existing regulations, every vehicle in England, Scotland and Wales that is three years old or over must have a current MoT test certificate. It must be renewed once a year, at a cost of £54.85 for a car and £29.65 for a standard motorcycle.

In Northern Ireland, tests are compulsory after four years.

An MoT tests a vehicle’s safety, roadworthiness and exhaust emissions. Parts checked include lights, seatbelts, tyres and brakes.

Drivers who do not have a valid certificate can be fined up to £1,000.

The DfT said it wanted to “ensure roadworthiness checks continue to balance costs on motorists while ensuring road safety, keeping up with advances in vehicle technology, and tackling vehicle emissions”.

It said delaying the first test for new vehicles could save motorists around £100m a year.

“Major developments in vehicle technology” had increased road safety since MoTs were introduced in 1960, officials added.

DfT figures show 26 people were killed in crashes on Britain’s roads in 2021 when vehicle defects were a contributory factor.

The department said the number of casualties in crashes caused by vehicle defects is “low” and government analysis shows delaying the first MoT “should not impact road safety”.

But motoring organisations expressed concern about the proposed changes.

AA president Edmund King said the MoT “plays a vital role in ensuring that vehicles on our roads are safe and well maintained”.

“With one in 10 cars failing their first MoT, we strongly discourage the government from extending a car’s first MOT to the fourth anniversary due to road safety concerns,” he added.

The RAC’s head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “While we’re not opposed to delaying a new vehicle’s first MoT, we believe there should be a requirement for particularly high mileage vehicles to be tested sooner.

“If the Government is looking to improve the MoT, now is the ideal time to take into account how much a vehicle is driven alongside the number of years it’s been on the road.

“We’re also disappointed the government is still entertaining the idea of increasing the time between MoTs.

“Our research clearly shows drivers don’t agree with this and believe it’s dangerous.”