The AA has issued a warning to drivers after the government announced new plans for MOTs.
Under the new changes, the time between MOT tests could increase from one year to two years. For new cars needing their first MOT, the time could increase from three years to four years.
It comes as the Department for Transport (DfT) hopes to cut costs for drivers and has launched a consultation on the proposals - They claim MOTs cost an average of £40 and delaying the first test for new vehicles could save motorists around £100 million a year. The DfT wants 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".
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However, Edmund King, president of the AA, said the organisation was “totally opposed” to the changes. He also told This is Money the change would see "an increase of death traps on wheels on the road".
The company boss said: "If you move the MOT from every year to two years that means you would have an increase of death traps on wheels on the road because there would be no independent check on those cars. And within two years, a driver doing 30,000 miles a year, it is very easy to have bald tyres and no brakes, and that's why the MOT is good.
"The MOT plays a vital role in ensuring that vehicles on our roads are safe and well maintained, and while not a formal recommendation, we totally oppose any change from an annual MOT. Last year, 83% of drivers said that the annual MOT was ‘very important’ for keeping our cars and roads as safe as possible, which highlights why an annual MOT must remain in place.
“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.”
The RAC’s head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes agreed, as he 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."
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