MOT TEST'S NEW 4-2-2 THREAT

by Will Rimell

Just one year after the trade convinced the previous government to scrap proposals to reduce the MOT test frequency from once a year to every two years, the threat of a 4-2-2 regime has once more reared its ugly head.

In a Parliamentary Question put before the House of Lords in July, Lord Marlesford, a Conservative peer, asked whether the new Coalition Government was considering a review of MOT frequency.

The response he received was a worrying: “Yes, we intend to look at the issue of MOT test frequencies later this year.”

The Retail Motor Industry Federation and the MOT Forum have written a joint letter to the Minister for Transport expressing the seriousness of changing the system and outlining the cost to society. At the time of writing, no formal response had been received.

In a detailed study published in 2008, the Department for Transport calculated that without the annual MOT, the country could witness a horrific increase in road deaths – up to nearly 2000 lives per year – and cost the country more than £6 billion.

The DFT also estimated that adopting the 4-2-2 system would cost the trade some £480 million per year and result in 40,000 job losses.

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  1. As an MOT tester and site manager this news is very worrying but typical.Has the outcome of the report in 2007 that 400 deaths and 2,000 injuries on our roads every year suddenly changed????.Not just as a tester does this worry me but also as a parent.I would not let my daughter in some of the cars i see presented for test now let alone with 2 year testing.I see cars on a daily basis which just meet minimum standards i.e tyres on 2mm, brake pads low etc and you can issue as many vt32's as you like but all they see is the pass certificate.These tyres on 2mm will not need to be checked for another 2 years!!!.We need to pull together as a trade and make sure this does not happen.
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  2. i totaly agree with mr barker.A large majority of cars I test barely scrape though the mot test as it is. We have the safest roads in the world and if one person dies as a result of this stupid new rule it will be one death to much.Even customers I ask are shocked.
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  3. About time we had more lax MOT rules, I'm sick of robbing so and so's 'claiming' that this is wrong and t'other is wrong. Now I'm not complaining about safety issues e.g. tyres but emission rules are just plain pointless and have no bearing on actual safety. Also I see the trade are complaining about loss of revenue ...hmmm ... and this is the real reason - as always your average grease monkey thinks about "how can I make a quick buck". Listen guys you make enough money out of ripping people off (Usually Middle class ladies) so stop moaning.
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  5. Unreal! Mr bad American car man 1. You have no idea what you are talking about. Stop tarring everyone with your niaive, blinkered brush and get educated. If you had any clue how much it costs to run a garage (or any busines) you would'nt use such dated and over used phrases. I currently employ 11 qualified technicians, the term grease monkeys is so 1980's. I have come across people like you many many times, and would love the chance to meet you in person so I could put you straight on a few points, have to be a Sunday though as after 18 years in business trying to earn a living I still work a six days and about 80 hours.
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  6. About time this annual imposition on the motorist was looked at especially the emissions tests and also should be related to mileage covered. Why should a car covering only a few hundred miles a year require such annual expenditure.....and the average garage grease monkey laughs if he can't get a £200+ bill arranged for the punter. Vested interests if you had a garage! No good crying, you boys have had a good run for years ripping people off. Why is the test priced at £50+ when garages can advertise doing tis for £24.99 upwards. Yes, unsafe cars must be taken off the road so a simplified test every two years would do this, and the 'plod' could step up their roadside checks with heavy penalties for users of unsafe illegal cars.
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  7. I am of the opinion that technology on cars has improved tremendously over the years,and the fact that the MOT failure rate has come down drastically.The fact that you can test and pass a car on minimum standards dont seem right.What is the point and purpose of testing a car on lights tyres wipers, exhaust system,emmissions and wheel rims when a fault on any of these items can occur at any time.Surely, it is the duty of the motorist to make sure its legal all year.I agree with testing on a 4 2 2 basis.This has had no problem in the E.U.So why cant we give it a try and stop all the scare mongering Although, I do sympathise with garages for loss of earnings, & job losses.
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