The fleet sector is divided over new government proposals to raise the first MOT test for cars from three to four years after registration. As part of the recent budget, the chancellor announced a consultation on the proposed test extension.æ However, the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) has called for a time and mileage based system instead, stating that fleets could end up having issues if they don't take mileage into account. Gerry Keaney, chief executive for the BVRLA, said: 'Cars are more reliable than ever, but extending the first MOT deadline could pose safety issues for cars that are doing high mileages and aren't serviced regularly,î 'There could be a case for developing a time and mileage-based criteria for the first MOT.î Extending the first MOT to four years would remove the obligation that the majority of fleet cars have for undergoing the test, according to new data from Fleet News.æ The average company car replacement cycle is around 46 months: 10 months after the first MOT is currently due, but 2 months before if the change were introduced. Kyle Truman, marketing director at Epyx, said: 'Effectively, this would mean that the majority of cars owned by fleets would never need to be MOT'd, because they are on shorter cycles than four years, which is a definite gain in terms of both costs and reduced hassle surrounding defleeting,î The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI), however, has said that the plan can only damage the UK's current road safety record.æ Current belief is that the average mileage car is significantly more likely to be running on unsafe and worn tyres and brakes after four years than it will at three. This means that an extension to the law will mean that more and more failures of safety related components _ are likely to occur _ especially in high-mileage cars.
