FOXY is asking women drivers for their opinions about increasing the period before a car has its first statutory safety check from 3 to 4 years.
Much as it did five years ago, the Government is seeking views on whether the age a vehicle gets its first MOT should be increased from 3 to 4 years.
Just to remind readers, the MOT is a car’s only statutory safety check and it is required annually after a car’s third birthday, even if it’s just a snapshot of safety areas on the day. Drive without one and your insurance is likely invalid.
As things stand, some 40% of vehicles fail their first MOT after 3 years so there is a definite safety concern were we to extend this period by a further 12 months.
The likely MOT verdict?
On first glance FOXY’d expect
+ motorists to say yes, because it’d mean them saving money and spending less time in garages.
+ car manufacturers and dealers to rewrite car servicing requirements to bring them more regular business in these early years.
+ garages and associated MOT service providers to be up in arms as this’d mean less business/more unemployment.
But I wonder how car insurers will feel about this knowing the relationship between safe cars and accident levels knowing that so many vehicles fail their first MOT at 3 years, concerning critical safety items like tyres.
And is it really a good idea to have vans on our road doing c50,000 miles a year for 3 let alone 4 years (150,000 to 200,000 miles without a check?) before they are subject to their first statutory road safety check?
Too important for women drivers to ignore
FOXY is preparing a response for the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) representing the views of women drivers and we’d welcome your opinion here.
As we see it, the UK’s MOT regime is ultimately about YOUR road safety and that of YOUR family, including pedestrians. This makes it too big a subject for women to ignore or allow men to make this decision, simply because they are more likely to be reading about this in the motor trade press.
I am particularly interested to learn why the Government is raising this debate, as it would surely earn less VAT money in the event of a first MOT after 4 years?
And surely this government has more important matters on its horizon.
But above all, I’d like to know who stands to benefit most from this proposal, if anyone.
We will then reflect your opinions and any concerns in our response to the DVSA.
Please have your say through FOXY by EITHER emailing your thoughts to info@foxyladydrivers.com or add to the thread at our Facebook Page.
Steph Savill
NB: The options being proposed are:
1. to keep the current period for vehicles requiring a first MOT at 3 years, with no change
2. to increase the age all vehicles get their first MOT from 3 to 4 years
3. to increase the age cars and motorcycles get their first MOT from 3 to 4 years, but keeping it at 3 years for vans in classes 4 and 7