4-2-2
WHAT IS 4-2-2?
The Government are currently proposing to change the way vehicles are MOT Tested.
Currently a vehicle has a test after its first 3 years on the road then every year after that, but the Government are proposing to change this to once after the first 4 years, then every 2 years after that.
This proposed change will have an adverse effect on the quality of vehicles on our roads as well as have disasterous effects to the Motor Trade.
In 2009 the UK of all the OECD countries had the lowest road deaths per million people despite having the third highest percentage of transport by passenger car*. Professionals believe that this is linked to our rigorous annual MOT Testing which in the year ending March 2010 removed over 800,000 vehicles from the road as being ‘Dangerous to Drive’**
In the year 2009/10 37.25% of all class 4 vehicles failed the MOT test with 46.3% of class 7 vehicles failing. What is the potential for failures if a 2 year interval between tests is adopted? Well working the figures through it comes to over 65%! That is nearly two thirds of vehicles on the road in un-roadworthy conditions.
The implementation of 4-2-2 WILL leave more unsafe vehicles on the road and WILL increase traffic incidents due to poor vehicle condition. With vehicles being less road worthy insurance premiums will be raised to compensate, so the inital saving of having fewer MOT tests will be absorbed into more expensive insurance, higher priced servicing and garages having to make up their loses by increasing their prices across the board.
*DfT report ‘Transport Statistics Great Britain 2010’
**VOSA
4-2-2 PRO’S
- A small reduction in the cost of MOT Testing.
4-2-2 CON’S
- More dangerous vehicles on the road.
- Increased insurance premiums.
- Garage services price increase.
- MASSIVE redundancy across the 20,000 MOT Testing stations in the UK and the loss of a lot of your local garages.
Enough is enough! There is no reason to change the system from one that works to one that will create nothing but problems and more deaths on our roads.