DfT announces plan to extend new car MOT requirement period to four years

New cars and motorcycles could no longer require an MOT for the first four years on the road under Department for Transport plans announced yesterday.

The government is consulting on the plans which will bring England, Scotland and Wales in line with Northern Ireland and many other European countries including France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Denmark and Norway.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: "New vehicles are much safer than they were 50 years ago and so it is only right we bring the MOT test up to date to help save motorists money where we can."

In the last 10 years, the number of 3 or 4-year-old cars involved in accidents where a vehicle defect was a contributory factor has fallen by almost two thirds, from 155 in 2006 to 57 in 2015.

The most common reasons for cars to fail their first tests are faulty lights, according to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

More than 2.2 million cars each year have to undergo their first MOT test, which costs owners a maximum of £54.85.

Subject to the public consultation, the changes could come into effect in 2018.