Matthew Enderby

MotorEasy issues urgent call for drivers and professionals to issue their voice to keep UK roads safe

Proposed Government MOT reform puts road users at risk.

Posted on Jun 29, 2023 by Matthew Enderby

Reading, 29 June 2023 - As the UK awaits the outcome of the Government’s consultation on MOT reform, MotorEasy, the car ownership platform from Intelligent Motoring, is calling for drivers, other road users and the motor industry to rally together and sign an online petition on the Government website, opposing the change. While the consultation period ended in March 2023, the online petition doesn’t close until 23 July, so it is not too late for the public’s voice to be heard. If the petition reaches 100,000 signatures the matter will be considered for debate in Parliament.

The proposed new rules would be for new cars to need an MOT once they are four years old rather than the current three years, and for the test to be required every two years rather than every year, from that point on. Whilst opinion of the change is mixed among the general public, most of the automotive industry is strongly against the proposal to reduce the frequency of MOTs for genuine fears over road safety. Less frequent testing increases the risk of faults being left undetected, to deteriorate and make the vehicle unsafe. In fact, recent analysis of over 38 million MOTs conducted in 2021 has found that almost one in five resulted in failure.

The Department of Transport responded to the petition when it received 10,000 signatures, saying: “The current MOT regime has been in place for a significant amount of time, and during that period, new types of vehicles such as hybrids and electrics have become more prevalent on our roads, and new road safety standards and vehicle safety technologies such as advanced driver assistance technologies (ADAS) have been introduced and improved considerably. We believe that it is therefore appropriate to consider whether any changes are needed to ensure that MOT testing remains fit for purpose and proportionate.”

Irrefutable evidence has, however, been presented by the automotive sector that hybrid and electric vehicles exact much greater wear on tyres – due to their weight and torque – and tyres in poor condition or not meeting the legal tread requirement are the most common cause of MOT failure. Less frequent expert checks on tyres will increase the number of vehicles on the road with unsafe tyres.

“The proposed MOT changes, should they go ahead, present a very real threat to UK motorists and other road users,” commented Duncan McClure Fisher, CEO of Intelligent Motoring, the parent company of MotorEasy. “Worryingly, whilst the automotive sector has collectively challenged the reforms, just over 10,000 people have signed the petition to date, suggesting numerous consumers are unaware of the potential change, and more significantly, many more do not fully appreciate its implications. The current MOT system has helped the UK achieve one of the best road safety records in the world, but this change could put an end to that.

“The Government hopes to help reduce the cost of car ownership by reducing the number of MOTs drivers have to pay for. Delaying identifying and repairing faults, however, will allow them to deteriorate further and ultimately cost owners far more. The industry and Government have a duty to responsibly support consumers in managing their finances, especially during a cost-of-living crisis, but this is a dangerous false economy. We are urging the public to use their voice and express their concerns over the potential change by signing the online petition to force the government to discuss the matter in parliament.”