Should MOT checks be annually or once every two years?

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by: Matt Robbins
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Word Count: 719
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2011 Time: 7:07 PM
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An MOT is a car service that tests if your car is worthy for the road. It is currently an annual test for cars that are three years old or more, and is required by law.
MOTs cost around £50 and are essential for the safety of your car. The importance of the MOT is that it checks every area of the car. Cars have to meet road safety and environmental standards. However, there are now government plans to have an MOT check every two years - and this has been attributed to the fact that cars are safer and technology is better than ever before. There are two sides to this decision however: if MOTs move to once every two years there will be car safety concerns, whilst if it stays at one year there will be concerns over pointless costs for car owners that are more robustly manufactured and safer than before.

An MOT makes your car safe and it is important this is regularly checked. An MOT does things such as: testing if the fuel cap is leaking, checks the exhaust for leaks, checks seatbelts, seat security, door safety, conditions of tyres and wheels and conditions of the brakes. The brakes are especially important, as having no brake fluid or wear on the brakepads, for example, could be dangerous and fatal. There is a strong argument that an MOT can run check all these safety areas, and it should be annual because it is unknown how much a car will be used in a year, there could be wear, strains or problems if used constantly. Some will claim an annual MOT should be enough as it is unknown what a car may have gone through during the course of the year. Arguably leaving an MOT to two years will be increasingly dangerous as the car might acquire more damage over two years and be unroadworthy or could be dangerous to the motorist.

In April 2011, it was widely reported that the current Government plans to have an MOT check every two years, rather than annually. The policy had been proposed before, and subsequently scrapped, back in 2008. This was due to a public outcry, but the new Government, aware of the growing cost of maintaining a car, are making two year MOTs a consideration again. The Government claims this is a viable solution because cars are getting safer and the technology made to use them now concentrates on the strength of the car, focusing on areas commonly found on MOTs to be problem areas. Yet this does raise questions about car safety.

First of all, a survey in January 2011 saw a motorists reject two year MOTs. A two year gap does not account for problems that may emerge. When checked under an annual MOT a car will have any problems removed by a full test and car servicing. However, what is to say that by missing that year's MOT, what may have been found then could cause problems for the extra year you have to wait to get an MOT check. Therefore there is so much more that could go wrong with your car in an extra year that makes two year MOTs dangerous.

However there are advantages with a two year MOT. It saves the motorist money as because cars are stronger and built to be safer the government would argue a yearly MOT would just simply waste money. Some ask why they should pay £50 to get an MOT and then have nothing wrong with the car. Many may argue that cars are made to be safer now and that makes yearly MOTs surplus to requirements.

However, three per cent of accidents are caused by vehicle defects, so it is always best to keep safe on the road. There is no doubt that the two-year duration would lead to more unroadworthy cars as older cars could gradually develop problems in the two years between the corresponding MOTs. It can also end many garage businesses that make a lot of their money out of yearly MOTs. The results of that January survey showed 9 out of 10 people wanted yearly MOTs - meaning that MOT checks should stay annual, as the best way to keep safe on the road no matter how safe cars appear to be in the modern age.

About the Author

Matt Robbins - Online Manager of Halfords Autocentre (previously Nationwide Autocentre) have more ATA trained mechanics than any other independent garage group being the UK's leading provider of MOT, Tyres, MOT and car repairs across the nation.
For all other enquiries, call 0800 096 4216.