time to get an Oval or Split

[Lids]

Vehicles manufactured before 1960 will no longer have to have to pass an MoT from 18 November, Roads Minister Mike Penning said.

The vehicles make up about 0.6% of the total number of licensed vehicles in Britain but are involved in just 0.03% of road casualties and accidents.

It follows a campaign by the All-Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group.

Mr Penning said the government was committed to cutting out red tape which cost 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," he said.

"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."

'Costly and absurd'
 
The campaign was led by East Yorkshire MP Greg Knight, who said he was "delighted" by the announcement.

"Accidents involving historic vehicles are extremely rare and the majority of owners are meticulous in keeping their vehicles in good condition. Having to have an annual MoT test for a vehicle which may only travel a few hundred miles in a year was costly and absurd."

AA president Edmund King said: "Cutting the red tape of an MoT requirement for classic pre-1960 cars is a victory for common sense."

At present vehicles must undergo their first MoT once they have been on the road for three years and then be retested annually.

Earlier this year, the government dropped plans to reduce the frequency of MoT tests, which would have involved delaying a car's first MoT from three years to four, and then having tests every two years instead of each year.

Road safety campaigners argued reducing the frequency of MoT tests for cars could lead to an increase in road deaths.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18146326

[Rennsurfer]

Sounds like good news for those parts of Europe.

[LuftsickTero]

"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," he said.

"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."

It only takes the first Hood Ride etc douche that hurts someone else in traffic..

[Fastbrit]

Agree... Sorry, but I'm all in favour of having an annual safety check on cars. There are plenty of vehicles that have been 'slammed' and narrowed that are lethal anyway - at least an MOT keeps things real to a degree.

This now gives a green light to anyone with zero skills to do what he wants to his rusty Split-screen Bus or Bug. Bad idea...

[papapsi]

does america have any sort of MOT?  . some tv programmes you see and mag features there doesn't seem to be

[Rennsurfer]

I only know about California, since it's my native state. I hear that other states in our union require annual (or otherwise) inspections. But I don't know the model years and which states mandates what. I'm sure Google could be quite helpful.

Tero and Keith are right, though... I can see where those issues could be of great concern.

[Zach Gomulka]

does america have any sort of MOT?  . some tv programmes you see and mag features there doesn't seem to be

I wish there was. There's a lot of iffy vehicles on the road over here.

[richie]

every 59 and earlier race car is now "street legal"  plans for Stutt bee to become a daily driver are already underway

cheers richie

[Black Sheep]

cool , no more advisories about excessive exhaust noise 

[andy198712]

Mot's don't really mean your road legal anyway, just at that moment the car is deemed safe.

The police can still pull you for any little thing out of place or a loud pipe, then bring VOSA down to go over your car with a fine tooth comb..... I think this is probably their back up plan. Then won't need mot's but VOSA will pull every old car and check it over.... Hmmmmm

[j-f]

In Belgium we can register a car as an "oldtimer". It has to be more than 25 years old, you have to make a light inspection and you can drive it with restrictions and no more annual inspection.
You can drive 25km around your house to test and tune it, no night drive, no daily driving. You can drive it to go to show or old timers rally. If you get caught with your car going to work for example, police can confiscate your license plate. A Belgian car with a license plate beginning with "O" or "1-0.." is an old timer licensed car. It may sound nice, but there is more and more control and with this kind of registration, you can't drive your car a lot.
Controls are more frequents because of the exaggeratedly lowered and modified old timers.
On the other hand, my bug is registered as a normal car, so each year I have to pass an technical inspection. Not a big issue as it is in good shape and technically safe. But, technical inspection is more and more difficult for old cars regarding smog test and modifications. I passed the test last May and have a discussion with the inspector because I was a bit high on the smog test (1600 kadron and vz14). I ask him if he realize that my bug is 44years old, without injection, catalytic converter or other pollution device . I also have to change my front 145 tires to 165*15 to have the same tires on all four corners and to lift the front enough to have the minimal 11cm ground clearance requested. I also pay some extra fees because it has aftermarket wheels, exhaust, driving wheel and shifter...

It is a good system if you drive a full stock car, but if you want to modify it, you have very little options to make it legally.

[Fritter]

In most states in the US, you can drive any old rusty piece of crap with parts falling off around and no one says anything.  That's how it is in my state, Illinois.  The worst I have seen is in Detroit, Michigan....some of the worst roads I've seen and the cars are terrible.  But some states do have an "MOT" type of test....mostly on the East coast I think.

However, most cars need to pass some kind of emissions test for the engine in the US (at least in more populated areas, like the Chicago area where I live).  They change the rules often....right now I believe only 1996 and later "OBDII" cars need testing, and that usually involves only a plug in and check for trouble codes. 

Whenever I have the biannual emission test done on my newer cars, I think the whole thing is a scam just to employ lots of otherwise unemployable people, kind of like the security people at the airport.

[j-f]

We don't have road iin good shape over here also  We pay lot's of taxes for them though ...
Technical inspection are quite serious here.
They check;

VIN,
Lights and there position,
Smog with a gas analyser,
Shocks absorber on a test bench,
Brakes on a test bench,
Ball joints, bearings, tyres, tie rods end and steering components,
Overall technical condition of the car (No rust or badly repairs done on frame, lower sills, wheels arches, etc etc;..)

It's a good thing to have such control,but if they require us to have cars in good condition for safety, they should do the same with roads.