More road deaths and injuries planned by government?

[Davidc]

I read this earlier, about reduced MOT testing, and an implied acceptance of 400 more road deaths annually as a result. It doesn't estimate the number of extra injuries.

Link

I'm appalled.

What do others think?

How many of the extra deaths and injuries will be among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists?

 

[Fiona N]

I agree - appalling idea as all too many drivers only realise they've got indicator and brake lights missing when they go for an MOT - I assume brakes etc. are similar as many drivers of older cars don't go in for an annual service either.

 

[snorri]

I think some easing of the "MoT " is no bad thing, it appears to be more of a cash cow for Test Centres than a genuine effort to improve road safety.

 

[Crackle]

I'm not so alarmed about it really. My 10 year old car has passed its MOT twice first time the last two times I've presented it. I recently replaced the rear suspension because it had had it and was beginning to effect the handling. It passed it's MOT like that though. Likewise it passed with two split inner CV boots. The MOT didn't pick up the judder in the brakes which were the discs.

There's a lot wrong with the current MOT and modern cars are a lot safer anyway. There's more to running a car than getting it MOT'd.

 

[subaqua]

the easy way to solve the cash cow issue is to make the test centres like the ones in spain.



run them as a government agency and no repairs done at them . I try and use the local authority one near me as i know it will be a proper test.

maybe the test should be every 6 months too. but at a cheaper price.

 

[Iain p]

"Currently, more than a third of the vehicles presented for their first MOT fail the test" Quote from link

Maybe, but what are they failing on. It could be the emission, i hardly think that makes it a death trap and as for the mot, it is only as good as the day it was passed. Once you get the car home you can do what you want.

I drive an old 850 volvo (N) reg 1996 and it has passed every mot first time since i got it 6 years ago.

 

[fossyant]

Stupid idea. I was in the MOT station a couple of weeks ago, the car in front had passed but it had a long list of advisories - I thought he'd fail it. Our 12 year old Yaris passed with 'flying colours' as the tester said.

 

[meenaghman]

All done at gov. Test centres here in northern ireland..similarly in republic..recently though was report on how taxi firms in Dublin were paying off testers and getting death traps through the test..so even gov. Test centres have problems.

 

[tyred]

It's irrelevant. It's the drivers need MOTed, not the cars.

 

[gavroche]

MOT ( Controle Technique) is every two years in France and road deaths have actually gone down this year so I dont think MOTs have anything to do with it. Drivers are the ones who should be MOTed by a driving assessment every 10 years at least.

 

[mr_cellophane]

I pulled up to a car and told the driver that one of the brake lights were out and she said it was only tested the week before. (not that I am saying the light was out then, but .....)

 

[benb]

"Currently, more than a third of the vehicles presented for their first MOT fail the test" Quote from link

Maybe, but what are they failing on. It could be the emission, i hardly think that makes it a death trap and as for the mot, it is only as good as the day it was passed. Once you get the car home you can do what you want.

I drive an old 850 volvo (N) reg 1996 and it has passed every mot first time since i got it 6 years ago.

More people die from air pollution than in traffic collisions.

 

[dellzeqq]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8578952.stm

quite so. I'm trying to find the calculation that 160 athsmatics die in London every year because they live near a major road

 

[numbnuts]

My 13 year onld car has passed it's MOT for the past 5 years without any repairs, OK so I only do 1000 miles a year so I'm in favor for this, cars are more reliable these days than they have ever been, but the motorist that only knows were the key start and the petrol cap is and never has a service it should be left as it is.

 

[numbnuts]

Isn't doing 1000 miles a year more likely to cause problems than doing ten times that (short journeys, lots of stopping and starting etc)?

(I'm not saying it does as I know bugger all about engines, I though it was often written that that was the case though).

I don't think so as most of my driving are not stop start trips 2-3 times a month for kayaking and one trip to the super market every thing else is done by bike