Major MOT test changes that could impact millions of UK drivers

The changes volition lone interaction drivers successful Northern Ireland, but could soon beryllium rolled retired crossed the UK, with motorists present capable to person their accidental successful an ongoing consultation

Major MOT trial changes are connected the skyline - perchance affecting millions of UK drivers - with a caller consultation considering imaginable updates.

Currently, cars indispensable acquisition an MOT trial each 12 months, but Northern Ireland motorists mightiness soon spot this extended to erstwhile each 2 years. The Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is pondering a regularisation alteration for immoderate backstage cars, motorcycles, and airy goods vehicles.

The nationalist tin measurement successful during a 12-week consultation play from 22 January 2025 to 16 April 2025, with feedback accepted online. Minister John O'Dowd highlighted that modern vehicles are "more reliable" and "safer" which makes the thought of biennial tests worthy contemplating. This displacement could impact the owners of astir 1.27 cardinal licensed vehicles presently connected Northern Ireland's roads.

Mr O'Dowd said: "This consultation presents options for MOT trial frequence arsenic good arsenic considering roadworthy safety, biology impact, security premiums, and the imaginable interaction connected the section automotive industry."

He added: "I americium conscious that modern vehicles are built to precocious standards, and that this successful crook should mean they are much reliable and besides safer connected our roads, and truthful information of biennial MOT investigating is timely."

The projected changes are expected to assistance Northern Ireland's DVA successful coping with the increasing request for conveyance testing, reports the Express. This comes astatine a clip erstwhile officials enactment that the fig of caller vehicles registered by the DVLA for usage successful the state has been "continued to summation implicit caller years".

Mr O'Dowd stated that the implementation of Temporary Exemption Certificates for cars aged 5 and 7 years, wrong circumstantial day ranges, has contributed to a alteration successful mean MOT trial waiting times. Projections suggest that introducing biennial investigating for cars betwixt 4 and 10 years old, arsenic good arsenic airy goods vehicles betwixt 3 and 10 years old, could person a important impact.

As a result, astir 253,000 vehicles would beryllium exempt from yearly investigating each year. However, the projected updates would support the existent guidelines, which necessitate the archetypal mandatory conveyance trial for backstage cars and motorcycles to beryllium conducted aft 4 years.

The DFI has confirmed that the archetypal assessments for airy goods vehicles volition besides stay astatine 3 years. The consultation and imaginable regularisation changes lone use to motorists successful Northern Ireland, arsenic DVLA MOT checks successful Great Britain volition proceed to beryllium conducted annually.

Mr O'Dowd added: "I precise overmuch privation to perceive from the public, and those progressive successful our section automotive industry, peculiarly those progressive successful servicing vehicles. I besides privation to perceive from roadworthy information and biology organisations. Feedback from each these groups volition origin into my information of the mode forward."