Department for Transport
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Cutting MoT red tape for classic vehicle owners
Classic vehicles will be exempted from the MoT test, Roads Minister Mike Penning announced today.
Classic and historic vehicles are often very well maintained by
their owners and have a much lower accident and MoT failure rate
than newer vehicles.
The current requirement to undergo an MoT test goes over and
above the obligations set out in European legislation. Following a
public consultation which showed high levels of support for the
proposals, vehicles manufactured before 1960 will be exempted from
the MoT test from 18 th November 2012 reducing costs for owners.
Owners of affected vehicles will still be able to take exempt
vehicles for an MoT test on a voluntary basis.
Mike Penning said:
"We are committed to cutting out red tape which
costs motorists money without providing significant overall
benefits. Owners of classic cars and motorbikes tend to be
enthusiasts who maintain their vehicles well - they don't
need to be told to look after them, they're out there in
all weathers checking the condition of the engine, tyres and
bodywork.
“Owners of classic vehicles will still be legally required to
ensure that they are safe and in a proper condition to be on the
road but scrapping the MoT test for these vehicles will save
motorists money.”
The response to the consultation can be found here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2011-27/.
Notes to Editors
1. Pre-1960 licensed vehicles make up about 0.6% of the total
number of licensed vehicles in Great Britain, but are involved in
just 0.03% of road casualties and accidents
2. Evidence shows that the initial MoT test failure rate
declines by the age of vehicle after the vehicle is 13 years old.
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