The current plans pertain to exempting all cars built before 1960 from the legal requirement to a routine MoT test.
The thinking behind this proposal is that two-thirds of the vehicles in this category are driven less than 500 miles a year and are in the hands of owners who dedicate much of their spare time to maintaining and caring for the vehicle.
We’re not talking about youngsters with a freshly stamped license and an inherent desire to show off; the owners of these vehicles are careful and conservative motorists that are rarely involved in accidents.
In addition, many classic car enthusiasts believe that current MoT testing is simply not suitable for vehicles built 50 or more years ago, and that many MoT testers don’t have the knowledge or experience to carry out a comprehensive assessment.
Mike Penning, the UK road safety minister has stated that the proposal is designed to reduce the financial burden placed on motorists for obligations that reap minimal benefits.
Yet it is in fact not only the owners of a classic Land Rover, Fiat or Ford that may benefit from the potential plans; new cars will also be exempt from inspection until their fourth birthday (currently MoTs must begin when the car turns three).
However, not everyone is supportive of the new proposals.
Owner of the Classic Car Club, Nigel Case, described the plans as ‘ridiculous’.
In his opinion cars of this age need more attention than modern vehicles. His thoughts are that it’s not uncommon for a car to appear in perfect condition while concealing a host of potentially dangerous problems.
So is this good news for classic car enthusiasts or simply a risky means by which our government is trying to demonstrate that it does cares about helping the general public cut costs?
In reality, those who choose not to book their classic Land Rover for a service could be putting themselves and other road users at risk. This proposal assumes that all classic car owners are experts in car mechanics and will be able to spot potentially dangerous problems for themselves; a dangerous assumption to make.
A requirement for owners of a classic Ford, Ferrari or Fiat to service their vehicle annually isn’t a huge financial burden and could be the difference between no accident and one resulting in a fatality – no amount of careful driving can compensate for failing breaks.
The fact is that when compared to insurance, petrol and the cost of the vehicle itself, the yearly MoT is one of the lowest costs car owners face.
It should also be safe to say that those which the proposal will affect (owners of both classic and brand new cars) may well have more disposable income than the owners of more modern yet used cars – those that will continue to be subjected to the yearly outgoing.
Surely a reduction on fuel tax would be more effective, while also benefiting motorists as a whole rather than a select few? Yet of course, this would hit the government where it hurts and a reduction would only be compensated for somewhere else by somebody else.
This article was written by Amy Fowler on behalf of Main Dealer Discount, who offer access to discounted Land Rover service, Fiat service and servicing for all other makes and models of vehicle.
