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MOT Testing Frequency under Review – again!

Text of email from MOT Testing Magazine Editor Jim Punter, to Lord Marlesford after an extended telephone discussion related to his Parliamentary Question which proposes a revival of the discredited (see text of document) proposal made by the previous Labour Government.

Dear Lord Marlesford,
Thank you for taking the trouble to call and talk with me yesterday. Attached is a copy of the comprehensive report produced by the Department for Transport (in November 2008) into the potential outcomes, both in road safety terms, and with regard to the effect on the exchequer, should changes be made to the vehicle age at first MOT Test, and periodicity of MOT Testing thereafter.

As you can see it is a very extensive analysis and considers three potential set of outcomes for each situation considered these were; the worst case in terms of resulting deaths and serious injuries arising as a result of road traffic accidents (RTAs) following catastrophic failures arising from vehicle defects, together with the associated cost to society, set against savings from reduced MOT frequency and motorists costs associated with going to and from the Testing Station. Then the median (most likely) outcome was considered, and finally the least likely outcome regarding lowest estimated deaths, serious injuries from resulting RTAs. [Road Traffic Accidents]

As I am sure you are aware, such reports are always quality assured by Government statisticians to ensure that their assessments are sound prior to publication. It should be noted that the report does not include any estimates regarding the likely increase in unemployment amongst the 50,000 MOT Testers and the 20,000 Testing Stations with the associated costs should the MOT periodicity be reduced.

I imagine it was argued at the time (before the banking collapse and the current economic crisis), that any job losses would be cost neutral because those workers would then be subsumed into the overall then bouyant economy. That is not currently the case, so things have changed on that front since the report was issued, and such additional costs should now be factored into the figures.

The report concluded that on the median assessment (most likely) outcome regarding moving to the first MOT test after a vehicle is four years old, and biennially thereafter, the following outcomes would be the most likely:

408 additional road deaths annually (see table on page 34)
2,504 additional seriously injured road casualties (see table on page 34)
An additional 57,432 road accidents where death and/or injury do not occur (see table page 34)
A net “cost to society” of £87M per annum (see table on page 36)

I hope this helps, and thank you very much for your time.

Regards

T James Punter
BSc (Hons), Llb (Hons), DMS, DipSSc, MIMech E., C.Eng.
Chairman MOT Trade Forum
Editor MOT Testing Magazine
Proprietor Punters Garages Ltd

 COPY OF 'MOT Scheme Evidence-Base' report of Nov 2008 HERE