IAAF urges the UK government “not to mess” with current MOT

The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) is urging Mark Harper, the new Secretary of State for Transport not to mess with the current MOT test frequency and instead look to strengthen the current 3-1-1 testing regime through the addition of testing the vehicle’s electronically-controlled safety systems (ADAS).

The IAAF, along with UK AFCAR, is actively highlighting to ministers and their departments the dangers involved if the first MOT is conducted when the vehicle becomes 4 years old and the risks this creates that then threaten road safety.

The IAAF argues that any extension to the test frequency will lead to an increase in road accidents and fatalities as there will be no formal inspection of a vehicle’s road worthiness for a further 12 months. For example, MOT failures are disproportionately high for electric vehicles when they are first tested at 3 years, due to their increased tyre wear. Additionally, there will not be any official mileage or emissions checks recorded until after four years. Furthermore, delaying vehicle inspections may lead to higher repair costs for motorists who may not know that dangerous faults are developing with their vehicles.

Mark Field, IAAF chief executive, said: “DVSA’s regulation of the MOT process and current testing frequency of 3:1:1 help to make the UK’s roads the second safest in Europe and while we look forward to working with the new ministers across both Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Department for Transport (DFT), we will fight any detrimental changes that threaten road safety and the automotive aftermarket.”

“Recent research from the RAC has shown that the majority of motorists consider that the UK MOT test is important for road safety and should not be changed and the wider industry is also firmly opposed to the idea of any changes to the 3-1-1 format.”