Aftermarket March 2023

MARCH 2023 AFTERMARKET 13 www.aftermarketonline.net fleet, I can attest that plenty of three- year-old cars that pass through garages have mechanical and electrical problems that severely compromise safety. “There is a vague justification on the government’s consultation page that ADAS devices and the arrival of EVs are helping to make three year MOTs unnecessary. This is high nonsense. ADAS and EVs don’t reduce wear on most major components, and there is even a strong argument that the much higher weight of the latter could increase the impact on wheels, brakes and the suspension. “Even with current vehicle shortages, most fleets still aim to replace company cars at three years and vans around four. With annual mileage reaching up to 30,000 miles or more, this means that some vehicles being operated by businesses might not receive an independent safety inspection until they have covered in the region of 100,000 miles. This is an idea that should be dismissed out of hand.” Karen Rotberg, Co-founder of BookMyGarage.com, said: “The fact the government is pitching these proposed changes as a way to save motorists money is farcical. On average, drivers pay £35.52 for a MOT test booked through our website – that’s less than the cost of half a tank of petrol in a typical family car. The reality is that most motorists prioritise safety over costs and the price of a MOT is only a tiny part of the overall bill that drivers face.” Data obtained by BookMyGarage.com from the DVSA via a Freedom of Information request showed 13.1% of three-year-old vehicles fail their first MOT on a major or dangerous defect. This rose to 15.4% for four-year-old vehicles. On the impact of ending the annual requirement for a MOT after three years, the company cited more DVSA data that pointed to the fact that that over 29% of the 31.6 million Class 3 & 4 MOT tests conducted in 2021/22 resulted in failure. 8% failed a test with a ‘dangerous defect’ Karen continued: “We do of course welcome any measures that can help motorists to save money – especially during a cost-of-living crisis – but any proposal which risks compromising on vehicle safety is not a solution. Increasing the interval between MOT tests puts greater onus on the driver to ensure their vehicle is in safe and roadworthy condition at all times, and we know from our research that not all motorists feel confident carrying out checks themselves.” 58% of motorists admitted they never check their lights, in a survey of 2,000 motorists performed by the company, with 27% admitting they never check their tyres. Karen added: “Remember, even if a vehicle has a valid MOT certificate, driving a vehicle with a dangerous defect can land the ssociation ent A quipm ge E a e Gar Th 5 e 194 c ds sin dar y stan dustr s of In older e Uph d ! ar ation c ed it r or his ac f gin our e n y Ask eer c IS Y . Y ent A For peace of mind always use a Garage Equipm ssociation member. GEA accredited engineers work to an industry code of conduct our assurance their skills and knowledge have been independently assessed. OUR EQUIPMENT ENGINEER GEA ACCREDITED? Th .c www.gea o.uk xpDat GEA ACCREDITED ENGINEER Name Company Discipline E e IDNumber XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 XX123456 XX123456