8:26 am, May 24, 2023
A petition asking the government not to extend the period before a vehicle’s first MOT to four years has been now been signed more than 10,000 times.
The controversial measure is one of several currently being explored by the government after a consultation into MOT reform.
The idea has been brought up several times in recent years, with industry insiders describing it as ‘dangerous’ and ‘putting lives at risk’.
The petition was launched by a campaign group consisting of the Independent Garage Association, National Tyre Distributors Association and Scottish Motor Trade Association.
It says that the policy would be ‘dangerous, expensive, damaging and unnecessary’ and called for the current system to be retained.
It is targeting 100,000 signatures, at which point it will be considered for debate in Parliament. At the time of writing it has been signed 10,508 times.
Outlining its case, the petition reads: ‘The government has proposed extending the period before a vehicle has to have its first MOT from three years to four.
‘We believe this will be dangerous, expensive, damaging and unnecessary. 1,759 casualties were caused by vehicle defects in 2021. Keep our roads safe by keeping the MOT at 3-1-1.’
In a statement to Car Dealer, Stuart James, chief executive of the IGA, said: ‘We have today received acknowledgment that our petition has reached the required number of signatures to trigger a response from government.
‘This is a significant milestone – fewer than 2 per cent* of petitions hit the 10,000-signature threshold for a government response.
‘This shows the depth of concern among our members and the motoring public about the proposed change to a 4-1-1 timescale.
‘The government response does not say anything to change our view that delaying the first MOT would be expensive, dangerous, damaging and unnecessary.
‘We will continue to lobby, alongside our industry partners, to make the road safety case for the period of time to the first MOT to stay at three years.
‘Other areas of the consultation have the potential to impact both garages and consumers. We stand ready to review the government’s decisions as and when they are announced to ensure that public safety and the needs of the industry have been properly considered.’
After passing the 10,000 mark, the petition has now received an official government response from the Department for Transport.
A spokesman for the department said the changes offered the opportunity to ‘improve vehicle safety and ensure that the MOT test benefits road users into the future’.
The statement said: ‘The Government consultation on MOT reform closed on 22nd March 2023. We are currently analysing the results and will release a decision in the near future.
‘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 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.
‘The government appreciates all those who have taken the time to provide a response to the consultation. We will consider all the responses and evidence submitted before a decision is made.
‘Safety is, and always will be, our priority so we will not make any change before being confident about the impacts. With that in mind a decision will be announced in the near future once that analysis has been done.
‘The consultation also included a call for evidence about areas for potential longer-term MOT reform including electric vehicles and automated systems. We believe this offers the opportunity to improve vehicle safety and ensure that the MOT test benefits road users into the future.’
You can sign the petition here.
