Extending first MOT deadline ‘will increase defective vehicles, tyres’ – TyreSafe

Road safety charity TyreSafe has joined a growing chorus of automotive industry opposition to the latest proposal to extend the intervals of the MOT test. The organisation, which has members from all spheres of the UK tyre business sector as well as councils and emergency services, said that plans to require a first MOT after four rather than three years would increase the number of defective tyres and vehicles on the country’s roads. It explained that while new vehicles are often safer than ever, the advanced safety systems they incorporate often rely on the roadworthiness of tyres. Research by TyreSafe and its members suggests that putting more responsibility for ensuring tyres’ roadworthiness on UK motorists could lead to illegal and unsafe tyres remaining fitted to vehicles for longer, as many motorists do not check their tyres frequently enough.

The case for extending MOT deadlines

The DfT and DVSA do not believe their proposal would lead to increased casualties. Their statement announcing a consultation on the change to the MOT contends that “government analysis shows the change from three to four years for the first MOT should not impact road safety,” based on its data. This data shows most new vehicles pass their first MOT test at three years, and that the number of casualties in car collisions due to vehicle defects is historically low.

Another factor in the departments’ reasoning is that many European countries already require a first test for new vehicles after four years.

The DfT is pursuing its interest in extending MOT deadlines because its analysis shows that moving the first test interval to four years would save owners of new vehicles £40 each over four years or £100m for all motorists, depending on the number of new vehicle sales.

Reported Road Casualties 2021

Each year the DfT publishes the Reported Road Casualties GB report, detailing factors contributing to an incident, leading to casualties. The latest figures (for 2021) reveal there were 1,759 personal injury collisions recorded of which 491 were because of defective or illegal tyres. They also reveal 21 people died as a result of being involved in incidents where vehicle defects were identified as contributing factors. In total, 418 people were killed or seriously injured (requiring in-patient treatment in hospital) because of incidents where vehicle defects were identified. Of those, 111 were due to tyres alone.

Another maintenance component essential to road safety which the MoT plays a vital role in detecting is defective brakes. Casualties from incidents in which they were identified as a contributory factor were higher in 2021 at 168 killed or seriously injured than for well over a decade.

TyreSafe points out that while vehicle defects are not reported a being the single largest contributor to incidents or casualties resulting from them, they still have a devasting impact on hundreds of individuals and households every year.

Why tyres are unique

The charity argues that tyres are a unique vehicle component as they determine how well acceleration, braking and steering inputs from the driver are converted to changes in the vehicle’s direction or speed. No other vehicle component has such a broad influence on vehicle control.

While Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are making significant improvements to road safety, they all depend on tyres being roadworthy to work.

This will become particularly significant with the advancement of autonomous functions for vehicles. It will be essential for the vehicle to take account of the roadworthiness of each of the vehicle’s tyres to activate the right amount of acceleration, braking force or steering. For example, the distance a vehicle needs to come a halt changes, not only because of the road’s surface condition and temperature but also due to the air pressure, condition and tread depth of the tyre.

For the foreseeable future, it will take a human being to inspect a tyre to ensure it is roadworthy. Regrettably, TyreSafe’s research, along with many other road safety stakeholders, proves a large proportion of motorists do not check the condition of their vehicle’s tyres regularly enough. In many instances, the only time tyres are checked is when the vehicle is submitted for its MoT or service.

Stuart Lovatt, TyreSafe chair, said: “Advances in vehicle and tyre technology makes modern vehicles safer than they ever have been. However, tyres are in constant contact with the road environment and subject to damage on any journey.  They need to be checked regularly and we know too many drivers don’t take tyre maintenance seriously – and, in fact, wait for an MoT failure before replacing unroadworthy tyres.

“Over 2 million cars fail their MOT each year with over 1 million MOT failures because of serious defects. All of these failures pose a serious safety risk and we need to do more to ensure vehicles on our roads are safe and legal.

“Clearly, extending the first MoT from three to four years, or indeed making it a requirement every other year, only increases the risk of incidents. The casualty figures prove hundreds of lives are changed each year as a result of incidents involving vehicle defects. We should work to reduce those, not increase the likelihood of creating more.”