Government MOT test proposals could lead to more unsafe vehicles

Proposals over a change to MOT testing laws on new cars must be reassessed by the Government, according to Bridgestone's Managing Director.

This comes following Chancellor George Osborne's plans in the recent Budget to extend the deadline for new cars and motorcycles to be MOT tested after four years instead of three.

Despite claims from Downing Street suggesting that the move would save motorists 'more than £100 million per year', tyres and rubber products manufacturer Bridgestone and its north region MD, Robin Shaw, is strongly advising a reassessment, as he believes the added 12 months will result in more cars running on illegal tyres below the 1.6mm tread of depth limit.

Over 100,000 tyres in England, Scotland and Wales were checked by Highways England, and results show that 27% were below the 1.6 limit and 39% between 1.6mm and 2mm.

Bridgestone Managing Director, Robin Shaw

"We oppose these proposals, as we believe they will lead to an increase in the number of unsafe and illegal vehicles on our roads," said Robin Shaw.

"The government is claiming that by considering this change, motorists will save money because modern day cars don't need their vehicles tested as often."

"The worry is that within the 12 month extension, motorists will be driving around with defects that are actually more costly to repair - and significantly more dangerous as a result."

It was revealed in July by the Department for Transport, as presented by TyreSafe, that tyres are the number one contributing factor to killed or seriously injured (KSIs) cases in the UK over the past five years (36%) in terms of vehicle defects, with 981 people either killed or seriously injured. This is higher than braking (31%) and steering faults (16%).

Bridgestone say that these figures would rise if a law to lengthen the first MOT test to four years was brought in. A TyreSafe survey reported that one in five drivers don't check their tyres, with nearly 10 million dangerous and illegal tyres likely to be driven on Britain's roads in 2015.

Speaking about the drivers who don't check their tyres, Robin Shaw added: "When coupling this with the fact that a tyre often needs replacing within four years due to wear and illegal tread depth, you can see that this Budget proposal could have disastrous consequences, with our roads becoming more dangerous than ever."

"We firmly believe that the change in law would negatively impact upon the number of road deaths and casualties on our roads each year."

For more information on how to check a tyre's tread depth read our pre-MOT test check-list here