In order to unify European testing laws and to meet directive 200-40-EC, which pertains to electronic motor safety, the Department for Transport has introduced compulsory MOT test requirements which came into effect on January 1st 2012.

It might be better to be safe than to be sorry, but with the introduction of these new measures, motorists who drive older models potentially face having to scrap their car as opposed to paying for the costly repairs which could easily exceed the actual value of the car.

Derby, UK (Carbag.co.uk News) 27th January 2012. It’s expected that any new test failures will be regarded as nothing more than advisories until sometime around May; these will need to be addressed before the next MOT. Beyond that, when the new rules come into effect, any electronic faults detected in the car will incur failures, including seemingly insignificant issues such defective warning lights on the dashboard. Alastair Peoples is the CE at Vosa (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency); he justified the new system of testing and its introduction:

"The MoT test is designed to make sure that a vehicle is fit to be on the road and so it needs to be updated to reflect new technology. We have worked with the industry to prepare them for these changes to make sure that the measures are introduced in the least burdensome way possible. Although these electronics are new to the MoT, it has always been a legal requirement to keep your car serviceable and safe."

The move will mostly affect the owners of older cars worth under 1k, typically those dating back to the late 90s and beyond which have expensive features such as airbags. Owners of some new cars will also face bigger bills to get their vehicle through the new MoT. It’s likely however that such motorists will have an initial inspection so as to flag up advisories rather than failures, thus affording them a year within which to address faults which could include warning lights for anything from seat belt and parking sensor warnings to assisted steering and electrical tow bar issues.

Each EU state is to become subject to the new legislation and its minimum standard requirements which are dictated throughout a total of no less than 50 new tests, as introduced by the UK Vehicle and Operator Services Agency. Alas it’s make or breakers yard time because yes, the new MOT rules are a blinking nightmare.

By Anthony Standring
Journalist/ Acting Editor