Fierce opposition as shock report calls on ministers to scrap the MOT test

Trade bodies up in arms over claims motorists waste £250M a year on "rip-off" MOT tests and unnecessary repairs

Fierce opposition as shock report calls on ministers to scrap the MOT test
Image: Bigstock.

The Independent Garage Association and National Franchised Dealers Association has strongly opposed a report published this week from The Adam Smith Institute which recommends the abolishment of the MOT test.

The report, which says the test is “outdated and unnecessary”, claims drivers would save £180 on average if the tests were no longer compulsory.

It also says ministers should put more resources into developing driverless cars which could save lives by eliminating driver error.

The report’s author, Alex Hoagland, said: “The UK has required MOT testing for decades in order to prevent crashes and fatalities from unreliable vehicles.

“Nowadays, vehicles are safer than ever, leading some governments to re-inspect these programmes.

“When these safety inspections were done away with in some US states, accident rates did not change.

“There’s no evidence that vehicle safety inspections improve vehicle safety.”

Sam Dumitriu of the Adam Smith Institute added: “MOT tests are meant to prevent crashes and save lives, but they’ve never been put to the test themselves.”

“A backward and dangerous step”

As well as scrapping the MOT completely, the report suggested an another option would be to reduce it to once every three years, or applying it only to vehicles which are at least five years old.

It also urged ministers to put more resources into developing driverless cars, which could save lives by eliminating driver error.

The AA has said calls to scrap the MOT “flies in the face of driver opinion”, with 94 per cent of motorists in a recent poll saying it was ‘very’ or ‘quite’ important to road safety.

AA president Edmund King said: “The MOT is appreciated by the vast majority of drivers and means that at least once a year, for cars over three years of age, there is an independent check on safety and vehicle emissions.

“It would be a backward and dangerous step to scrap it.”

“Outstanding value for money”

Stuart James, director at the Independent Garage Association, said: “The fact that the UK has one of the best road safety records in the developed world is testament to the quality of the MOT test.

“The report states that the average repair cost to get a car through its MOT is £143.

“This clearly indicates that a large number of vehicles are unroadworthy.

“Every fatality is one too many, and for an average price of £33, the peace of mind that this brings can only be perceived as outstanding value for money.”

“Unresolved basic wear and tear issues”

Sue Robinson, director at the National Franchised Dealers Association, said: “Without an MOT, customers would be likely to incur additional expenses due to the damage caused by unresolved basic wear and tear issues affecting items including light bulbs, brake pads, tyres, wiper blades, steering and emissions which need to be constantly checked and can easily escalate into more severe problems.

“In January, the government acknowledged that ‘data relating to accidents involving mechanical failure would improve testing at year three’ instead of four and we believe abolishing the MOT test could have potentially devastating road safety implications.”

Share your comments and any concerns below.

Home Page Forums BREAKING: Fierce opposition as shock report calls on ministers to scrap the MOT test

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 35 total)
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  • #161490 Reply

    The Independent Garage Association and National Franchised Dealers Association has strongly opposed today’s report from The Adam Smith Institute recom
    [See the full post at: BREAKING: Fierce opposition as shock report calls on ministers to scrap the MOT test]

    #161494 Reply
    Martin Fletcher
    Guest

    Alex Hoagland, author of the paper looks at statistics. A bit like the statistics that record police crime figures, they do not reflect the real world.
    I would wager that if Alex took his car for a MOT test and it passed, then subsequently a component that should have failed the test but was missed, broke, he would sue the arse off the test station!

    #161497 Reply
    dave winstanley
    Guest

    45 park road,swinton,,nr mexborough,,i think it should be not compulsury to put yr car through a mot,,only if you want to mot it,,,i maintain my cars myself,,,,so i know when a part as worn out,which i would replace it,,t would love it not compulsary for mot testing,,,

    #161498 Reply
    david winstanley
    Guest

    45 park road,swinton,,nr mexborough,,i would love mot not compulsary…

    #161500 Reply
    Andrew White
    Guest

    If you work on cars then you will know how things can escalate into dangerous very quickly when not attended to. I own a garage and still think it necessary to have an MOT test. The general public cannot be expected to know if a serious and potentially life threatening defect is on their vehicle. How would you feel if someone didn’t get a car MOT’d and a part failed on that car and killed a or your child or loved one. I think you would be the first one cuing for a prosecution for negligence of maintaining a vehicle. I know I would. Having the idea of no Compusory MOT test is the biggest lack of common sense I’ve seen in a while!!

    #161501 Reply
    Matt
    Guest

    I HOPE THIS IS A JOKE. I AM AN MOT TESTER AND THE CONDITION THAT SOME VEHICLES ARE IN BECAUSE OF DRIVERS FAILING TO CHECK THE OBVIOUS AND CAUSING A DANGER TO INNOCENT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. HOW WOULD ANY OF YOU FEEL IF YOU WERE WALKING DOWN THE ROAD AND A CAR WITH 4 BALD TYRES AND BRAKES NOT WORKING PLOUGHED INTO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY KILLING EVERY ONE OF YOU? THE MOT ENSURES THAT THE BARE MINIMUM SAFETY COMPONENTS ON A VEHICLE ARE NOT LIKELY TO FAIL OR CAUSE SOMEONE TO LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR VEHICLE. PEOPLE THAT EVEN THINK ABOUT GETTING RID OF THE MOT TEST ARE UNEDUCATED AND PROBABLY DONT CHECK THEIR OWN VEHICLES. ITS 20-40 PER YEAR. THATS 7p PER WEEK !! DONT COME OUT WITH THESE RIDICULOUS IDEAS WHEN THE RULES ARE THERE FOR A REASON. THE MOT TEST ISNT THERE TO RIP PEOPLE OFF ITS THERE TO SAVE PEOPLES LIVES. END OF !!

    #161530 Reply
    charles almond
    Guest

    The person who dreamed that up has probably got a company car anyway so he wont drive any thing older than a couple of years. This is what happens when someone with no life experience gets a sniff of authority.

    #161558 Reply
    Seasidesal staffs
    Guest

    Yes always to an MOT. Drivers can be lazy and those that decide not to mot will most certainly be the ones that cause fatalities.
    But bring the old mot back the new one is a money maker for garages and unecessary for motorists.

    #161627 Reply
    Neil
    Guest

    Would Dave Winstanley not be upset if he was severely injured in an accident caused by a poorly maintained and dangerous vehicle colliding with his vehicle.

    #161628 Reply
    peter bower
    Guest

    What the hell is the ‘adam smith institute’? who asked for there opinion? and who funded their deluded inquiry? I have no clear evidence that they are a bunch of clueless idiots but there has never been a report to say they are not so therefore they must be!!!!!!!!!!!

    #161629 Reply
    Garry Foster
    Guest

    Never gonna happen
    The government would shit at the amount of unemployment it would cause so don’t worry omly scare mongering as usual.

    #161631 Reply
    Nicola Wakeling
    Guest

    People have busy lives and the MOT is an important safety check that would not happen, in my opinion, for the majority of people unless they were compelled to do so. They are not reckless, just busy. The MOT failure rate is an indicator as to how cars do need looking at yearly in order to keep them roadworthy and prevent other more serious problems. Its a service that we perform for customers. Let’s ask the Adam Smith Institute how he proposes to motivate people to keep their cars safe other than through an MOT, perhaps he has a perfectly plausible idea that this article is missing.

    #161632 Reply
    Jon-paul Lockyer
    Guest

    Omg ! Wot a joke , I’m a tester and own a garage , and the amount of people that don’t even service there cars and do the bare min every year to pass an mot is unreal . Those cars wouldn’t even get checked but would still be on the road

    #161634 Reply
    Neil Turner
    Guest

    We already have exemptions for the over 40s, putting the responsibility for roadworthiness onto the driver/rider. They, like Mr Winstanley above, obviously have a ramp, tools, brake and emission testing equipment, not to mention the technical expertise to know what they’re looking at. Now Mr Hoagland wants to take the test out of the system altogether so we have to use driverless cars (and ban motorcycles presumably).
    What a bunch of fools. Go round the car park of any club meeting for cars over 40 years and have a look at the rust that hasn’t been attended to, the tyres that have been left to rot, the brakes that need attention. Of course, the owner will do all of these things to comply with roadworthiness (when they feel like doing the work). And now… all vehicles should be left to the owners to take out a contract or do the work themselves. Really? Better still, why not ban all cars and bikes? That’ll keep the roads safe at least. The Govt values a human life at £1.2m versus the cost of an MOT test. Do the maths.

    #161636 Reply
    Haydn Skinner
    Guest

    I instil on MOT testers that when they carry out MOT tests on my car and my immediate family cars that the test is completed in its entirety giving a thorough examination. I then have the opportunity to carry out any rectification work to those vehicles and ensure that my family are safe on the road. If I ignore the information I am given it is my fault as an owner/driver and I should take responsibility for my decisions.
    Will the people who advocate this proposal accept and take full responsibility for the outcome of their decisions. I do not think so. Long live MOT 3+1+1

    #161637 Reply
    stuart gent
    Guest

    really!!!! haven’t they got better things to do that waste time and money on surveys for something that clearly only has a positive effect on vehicles and road safety. unfortunately the general public cant be trusted to make sure there vehicle are up together and safe and most don’t even know what they are looking at anyway. its not broken and has worked for years so stop trying to fix it.

    #161638 Reply
    jim walker
    Guest

    Most of you above are right, problem is the government and it agencies and for that matter these research companies do not live in the real world, i wouldn’t be surprised if they advocated scrapping the driving test as lets be honest it doesn’t make for safer drivers it only proves they have a bare minimum of knowledge. personally I think we should have the same system as some of Europe, your car no matter of mileage must have an annual service by a registered service centre, then you could perhaps stretch the MOT to 4-2-2. and at the same time alter the driving test to, once passed up to 40 horse power and only one passenger for 5 years then an assessment test to see if the driver has improved their skills to be given a full unlimited licence, it woks really well in other countries, why not here. it will never happen as ministers have to much invested in it

    #161639 Reply
    Gary
    Guest

    he has based his findings from America!!!! where different states have different laws!!!!!!

    #161640 Reply
    pantyliner
    Guest

    Isn’t this the very same clique of extreme right-wing ideologues that conned us into believing that Brexit was good for our country? The real problem is that this Tory government is riddled with people who think in just the same way!

    #161643 Reply
    Roger Ayres
    Guest

    Bushey Hall Drive

    #161644 Reply
    Alan
    Guest

    What an absolute joke especially following on from the idiotic European 4-2-2 idea which thankfully was withdrawn. Whoever thinks up these ideas should spend a day in an MOT station and look at some of the dangerous vehicles we see on a daily basis, some of which are on their first test.

    In this day and age , unlike yesteryear, most motorists dont look look after their vehicles, some never even look under the bonnet to check oil and water let alone check tyres. At my MOT station I always advise customers to call down so we can do basic checks for them on a regular basis and then we can warn them of impending problems.

    Oh and all this is to encourage driverless cars ???? Dont be daft , whose going to carry the blame if and when they are involved in a serious death causing accident. Well it was the computers fault …. bring it on !!!!

    #161646 Reply
    Bob
    Guest

    alex did you hear this discussion on love island

    #161635 Reply
    Graham Lange
    Guest

    I can barely hold myself back here….. “the Adam Smith Institute” is a think tank, famed for proposing stupid ideas that rarely become poilcy. Another loony lefty dubiously funded (tobacco industry?) bunch of idiots trying to be controversial….Ignore it..!

    #161650 Reply
    Alistair Brackenbury
    Guest

    Wow! the Adam Smith Institute sounds like a great place to work. No doubt highly educated, intellectual types who sit around smoking crack and coming up with some ‘amazing’ ideas. Good work guys, keep the ideas flowing. I do hope you are being paid well.

    Or her’s another option, come to my garage for a couple of days and experience the real reason MOT’s are conducted. And meet some of the customers who’s cars are only safe to drive because they have been forced into maintaining them to the absolute minimum standard.

    #161651 Reply
    Roger Ayres
    Guest

    When will politicians leave the MOT system alone, don’t play politics with peoples lives. If you look at road deaths before the MOTs system started in the 1960s which were massive. this has been cut massively with vehicle population growing year on year.

    Why spend time and money trying stop something that works and makes the county a safer please to travel and live in
    the cost is 01.5p per day
    This is just a political red herring to hide their bad decisions. As a AE we see vehicles which should not be on the road with tyres with no tread vehicles with no lights, emission over the limit and many other items
    Don’t idiots leave it to the professional who work tireless to keep this country a safer place to live and travel. If wish to save the motorist some money drop the VAT on fuel !!!

    AE with 25 years of Vehicle MOT testing Watford

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 35 total)

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