The government has decided to change the MOT laws this coming year so be warned that you’ll have to leap more hurdles and thread smaller smaller hoops to keep your car on the road. That modern cars are vastly more reliable and don’t really need this annual test of roadworthiness is clearly true. But there’s also an amusement to the new test bringing in a check that we’re obeying European union law just as we’re leaving. Yup, we’re going to be following European regulations for a lot longer yet just because of the sheer deadweight of the bureaucracy.
As we’ve pointed out before we shouldn’t be having this annual inspection anyway:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] The MOT requires drivers of any vehicle older than 3 years to pay between £30 and £80 annually for vehicle safety inspections, generating over £250 million in yearly revenue for more than 20,000 garages throughout Britain. However, this industry has not been rigorously evaluated for over 20 years. The idea of vehicle safety inspections is an outdated one stemming from widespread use of unsafe vehicles in the 1950s. Over the years, reforms have added burdens to drivers rather than removed them due to an unsubstantiated assumption that inspections increase safety. However, this assumption has proven to be inaccurate. As vehicle technology increases, annual safety inspections are rendered more and more useless. [/perfectpullquote]Still, they continue to fiddle with it rather than abolish. The coming year, 2019, will bring these changes to the MOT:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] MOT rule changesThere are now new MOT categories for cars being tested. These are: Dangerous – Direct risk to road safety or the environment. Results in a Fail.
Major – Could affect safety or the environment. Results in a Fail.
Minor – No effect on safety, but should be repaired as soon as possible.
Advisory – Could have an effect in future.
Pass – Meets the current legal standards.
And a range of new legal requirements are now being introduced to the MOT for the first time. These include: Under-inflated tyres
Contaminated brake fluid
Brake pad warning lights and missing brake pads or discs
Reversing lights (for vehicles newer than September 2009)
Daytime running lights (for vehicles newer than March 2018) [/perfectpullquote]
It’s that last which produces a bit of a giggle. We only have to have daytime running lights because of some European Directive. Traditionally the UK said they distracted more than aided. But the Swedes, or someone else equally important, got the bee in their bonnet about it and so we, with everyone else, gave in. Seriously, who wants a Swede moaning at you over the moules frites about sidelights every time you attempt to talk about something important?
But that’s the way it works. And even though we’re leaving on March 29, thus the Directive needn’t apply, the rule will be enforced because that’s just what bureaucracies do.
UPDATE:
Hugo Biggs – Head Of Media – Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has informed us that:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The changes you list as happening in 2019 actually came in on 20 May 2018.[/perfectpullquote]
..and the lesson of today is don’t rely upon The Sun as an information source. From DVSA via email:
France: first ‘MoT’ after four years, then every two years.
I don’t think the UK busybody industry needs to rely on the EU for nonsense, and of course it contributes to the EC Directive so at least some of the stupidity will be in there because of the UK parasitical class.
Yes, newer cars are safer and longer-lasting than old one, so I’d be happy with a regime that was stricter for older cars. All the cars I’ve had were over 15 years old and the 80-100 quid a year was basically maintenance costs, without being forced to go in for an MOT there’d be stuff I would never get done. But I don’t see the point in having to take in a 2015 model in every year, if it was falling apart after three years I’d want my money back.
If you take any care at all of your car, there’s no need for most of the MOT checks. But other people don’t, which is why they’ve added tyre pressures and things.
Wow.
Um… Sweden isn’t in the EU….
“We only have to have daytime running lights because of some European Directive. Traditionally the UK said they distracted more than aided.” Nope. It’s always been a trade-off between the cost of running the lights and the very minor benefit. Now we have LEDs instead of bulbs, the cost-benefit ratio has changed. Given how many people I see driving (in town) without their lights on at night, some always-on lights are probably a good idea. And yes, if I’d read this earlier I’d also have pointed out that these rules already apply – because I made sure I got my… Read more »