Peter Galilee - The Knowledge

Peter assesses the Department for Transport’s review of MoT exemption for some old vehicles – and guess what? He concludes that they make very little sense...

As you probably know, some old vehicles, including Land Rovers, aren’t required to take MoT tests. Last year the Department for Transport (DFT) decided to review this, and asked for comments from old-vehicle users via an online questionnaire. DFT’s conclusions have been published in a document entitled ‘Exempting Vehicles of Historical Interest from Road worthiness Testing – Government Response to Consultation’. It is intended that defining elements will become legislation, which will go live on May 20, 2018.

A total of 1130 respondents opposed exempting vehicles of 40-plus years old from MoTs, mostly on safety grounds. Only 889 favoured it. Did the DFT listen, though? Quote: ‘The government has decided to proceed with the exemption for all vehicles constructed or first registered more than 40 years ago, on a rolling basis.’ So that’s us told, then! And this ruling will make a big difference; currently about 197,000 vehicles are MoT-exempt. Under the new legislation, there will be approximately 293,000 extra vehicles which won’t have to take the MoT.

Accidents waiting to happen