Aftermarket March 2023

efficiencies of internal combustion engines while they are still in use. “Analysis shows that over seven years, half a million people have died from causes including asthma attacks, exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia because of fine particulate matter. Hospital admissions for lung conditions have doubled in England and Wales from 1,535 per 100,000 in 1999 to 3,143 per 100,000 in 2019. This is a public health crisis and needs a robust response.” Requirement AA President Edmund King said: "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. “When this proposal was last considered in 2017-18, the four-year policy did not obtain public support, with many citing concerns over vehicle safety as the main reason for opposing the move. We do not believe this to have changed over time. Safety items like tyres and brakes can often be deficient after three years. However, there are aspects of this consultation which we support, such as ensuring the MOT is fit for purpose for the new technology in vehicles. Making sure MOT testers check and test advanced safety features and autonomous systems are important as the nation’s car parc evolves.” RAC Head of Roads policy Nicholas Lyes observed: “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 consider 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. It would also likely increase the number of unroadworthy vehicles on our roads, putting lives at risk, and not save drivers any money as they would likely end up with bigger repair bills as a result. Given the technological advances of driving aids in cars and the increasing adoption of electric vehicles, there is an argument that suggests the MOT will need to adapt accordingly in the future. Certainly, moves to check for faulty or removed diesel particulate filters will improve air quality by targeting dirty vehicles.” Reality Also coming out in favour of keeping the 3-1-1 frequency was Kwik Fit. Its MOT Scheme Manager Eric Smith observed: “We welcome the fact that the government is consulting on how the scope of the MOT test should be improved to ensure new car technology and safety systems are appropriately tested as the car parc evolves. We don’t believe there is good evidence to indicate that delaying a car’s first test beyond three years is a risk worth taking. In fact, the government’s own forecasts show that delaying tests could lead to an increase in road casualties as well as a risk of more cars running with illegal emission levels. “The reality is that the annual MOT fee is a very small proportion of a driver’s annual expenditure and the test supports drivers with a timely and regular check on important safety components – not least the condition of tyres. Of the vehicle defects listed as contributory factors to accidents, the government data show that tyres are most common, and tyre condition is unrelated to vehicle age. Our experience shows that the annual check remains vital in not only improving the safety of our customers but also extending the life of their vehicles and reducing drivers’ overall maintenance costs.” Peter Golding, Managing Director at fleet software and management providers FleetCheck added: “The mooted idea to move to four years for MOTs is madness for road safety. As someone who managed workshops for many years before moving into 12 AFTERMARKET MARCH 2023 BIG ISSUE www.aftermarketonline.net “If vehicles were tested more stringently, we could ensure safer roads and a better environment” ”