3 in 5 Brits Believe the Proposed MOT Change Will Cost Motorists More

Due to the ongoing cost of living crisis, the government recently proposed a measure that would see UK drivers needing their car MOT tested every 2 years instead of annually.

This has been met with concern by motoring groups, garages, and drivers across London who believe that this will increase the costs for the typical driver, as well as make our roads less safe. In light of this, Group 1 Automotive conducted a survey of over 1,000 UK drivers to assess attitudes towards the change.

Here’s what the data reveals:

Over half (57%) of London motorists told us they would be unhappy if the requirement for MOTs were changed from 1 year to 2

3 in 5 people in London would still take yearly MOTs even if it was not a legal requirement

Over 60% of people in London would worry about driving with their children in the car if they didn’t have a yearly MOT

Nearly 3 in 4 (74%) of the people we surveyed from London believe not having yearly MOTs could cause small problems to get worse, as they aren’t identified early enough

Over 3 in 5 (62%) people think there would be bigger cost implications if MOTs were changed to 2 years

Attitudes towards changing MOT testing

Our data showed that respondents in London were concerned about safety, as well as about the financial impact. Over 64% of people rely on yearly MOTs to gain an awareness of their car health, which was reflected in further responses when it came to analysing safety concerns. For example, almost 2 in 5 people in London only change their tyres when needed for an MOT, extending the amount of time required before retesting could lead road users to neglect to maintain their vehicles. Nearly 75% of people also believe that not having yearly MOTs could cause small problems to get worse, as they aren’t identified early enough.

These issues are likely to create anxiety amongst drivers, with over 63% of people being concerned about driving with their children/family in the car, and over 2 in 5 people worried about driving with their pets, should the proposed change go ahead.

Despite the government’s intention to reduce living costs, 3 in 5 people surveyed believed there would be more considerable cost implications if MOTs were changed to 2 years. The same number of people would continue taking yearly MOTs even if there was no legal requirement to do so.