streetwagens wrote:Also it might mean that something doesnt have to actually work in order to get it taxed and therefore registered... free project storage on the sides of the road with a shiny tax disc in the window!!

Nice

if that works you'll surely be due a large envelope full of registration docs very soon dude

I just wonder what restrictions they will put on as if you use it as daily driver, they prob limit it to a mere 2/3 thousand miles

good news for the minority who maintain their vehicle to a high standard, going to have to be extra vigilant buying from now on though, personally 40 odd quid a year isnt bad for peace of mind

I think this is bad news... self regulation for safety is just plain daft.

I can see at some point im going to be stood on the side of a road explaining to a copper (i cant see who else is going to police this) that my van really is road safe and he/she is going to take one look at it and send me to have it inspected at an MOT station anyway... at least with the current system they run the plate and it comes back as having a roadworthy cert and i never get pulled over.

I wonder if you can still get an MOT even though it is excempt?

I think it is completely mad! It's a safety test, I don't mind getting the MOT each year. The arguments don't make sense e.g. If old vehicles are meticulously maintained by their owners then the cost of an MOT is neglible compared to the annual costs of maintaining them. It will only take one serious accident next year involving a pre-60 car that is proven to be unsafe and then what? Being cynical part of me assumes they're gearing up to an EU-led banning of historic vehicles being on the road.

According to the linked article it was pushed through by the All-Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicles Group, I'd be less cynical if they had named themselves All-Party Parliamentary Historic Vehicle Enthusiasts Group.

There are so many other problems around they should have spent their time campaigning and pushing through changes for those.

Our DrMOT has just passed this onto me ...

http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/statements/penning-20120521a

Historic Vehicles MOT
Delivered by: Mike Penning MP
Publisher: Department for Transport
Delivered date: 21 May 2012
Type: Written statement
Mode/topic: Roads
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport (Mike Penning): Today I am announcing the Government’s plan to exempt all vehicles of historic interest (vehicles manufactured prior to 1 January 1960) in Great Britain (GB) from statutory MOT test, as allowed under Article 4(2) of the EU Directive 2009/40/EC. I am also publishing the outcome of the consultation (with Government response) on our proposal to exempt historic vehicles from the MOT test which closed on 26 January 2012.

The EU Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council, Chapter II, Exceptions, Article 4 states: “Member States may, after consulting the Commission, exclude from the scope of this Directive, or subject to special provisions, certain vehicles operated or used in exceptional conditions and vehicles which are never, or hardly ever, used on public highways, including vehicles of historic interest which were manufactured before 1 January 1960 or which are temporarily withdrawn from circulation. Member States may, after consulting the Commission, set their own testing standards for vehicles considered to be of historic interest.”

Whilst the pre-1960 manufactured vehicles made up 0.6% of the 35.2m licensed vehicles in GB they were involved in just 0.03% of road casualties and accidents. Two-thirds of them are driven under 500 miles a year and their initial MOT test failure rate (10%) is only a third of that of post -1960 manufactured vehicles.

Following consultation, the Government has concluded that we should proceed with exempting all pre-1960 manufactured vehicles from the MOT test. The Government believes that the exemption will reduce regulatory burden on owners of historic vehicles, meet its Reducing Regulation agenda and the desire to remove unnecessary burdens. It will also bring the age of vehicles requiring the statutory MOT test in line with The Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) Regulations 1988, which already exempts unladen pre-1960 manufactured Heavy Goods Vehicles from the roadworthiness test. Owners of pre-1960 manufactured vehicles will still retain the option to do voluntary MOT test on their vehicles.

The outcome of consultation with Government response can be found on the Department’s website.

An amendment will be made to regulation 6 of The Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 1981 to enable the MOT exemption. It is my intention that the changes come into force by 18 November 2012.

Related documents
Cutting MOT red tape for classic vehicle owners press release

i can see pre 1960 insurance figures rising...

id much prefer to have an MOT, rather than be told when and where you can drive it like some of our european friends

J Harris wrote:i can see pre 1960 insurance figures rising...

You know it. And as an ex plod, I wouldn't worry about being given a hard time by old bill patrolling, as Teresa May is banning those too. You'll be lucky to get a murder investigated by the time's she finished but 5500 on the streets for the jubilee we are all 'celebrating'. Apparently

ah,i can see the ads now

1959 vw bus,lifted from the sea bed after 30 years,plenty of patina,taxed and registered,needs a bit of tlc,drive away

bad news if you ask me,as theres plenty of people that own these old cars who actually have no clue about maintenance,ie the chequebook boys.

still,thats progress i guess!

Mike1973 wrote:Our DrMOT has just passed this onto me ...

Whilst the pre-1960 manufactured vehicles made up 0.6% of the 35.2m licensed vehicles in GB they were involved in just 0.03% of road casualties and accidents. Two-thirds of them are driven under 500 miles a year and their initial MOT test failure rate (10%) is only a third of that of post -1960 manufactured vehicles.

0.6% of 35.2m cars is 211000 pre 60's cars, 10% of them fail their mot, thats 21000 cars....that'll be driving around with something wrong with them without the owner knowing. Unless my maths is wrong thats seems quite a lot.

Not happy (mines a 57), it seemed the classic car scene didn't want this to happen but it went through anyway, can't help but think there are ulterior motives and we will be restricted in some ways in the future, ie not on motorways, not in city centres etc.

Its could be a poison chalice

Scary , i think its crazy and wonder how insurance companys will react to this , should a bulging brake flex burst on a single circuit brake system bus and it rams the back of something i cant see them been to happy . Think if i owned a pre 60 i would be still asking my local mot station to check over the vital parts ie brakes/ steering / suspension etc, i do think most enthusiasts try to keep there vehicle in good health but the mot can bring things to light , checking brake flexis and steering pivots is difficult without an assistant and ramp ,but will people check them untill there has been a signal , like spongy pedal or free play .

I dont see this as a good thing, im sure there are many who will still go for pre mot checks for piece of mind but im sure there will be some who don't and those who like to hack or modify will have it easy for dangerous mods, some of the modded buses that have come in from the states have been dam right dangerous.

On another point i wonder what's really driving this change!

If that's what they've decided, that's how it'll be.

You can still pay your £40 for an MOT, fail it, and still drive it on the road until you can afford the money to put right the things picked up. (or not put right if you don't feel like it). At least you'll know what's wrong with it.

I wonder how the MOT computer system will cope with a non-MOTable vehicle being entered on the system?

It's all going to be down to the morality of the driver.

Not good in my opinion.

readyboy61 wrote:

On another point i wonder what's really driving this change!

Exactly! I wonder if this where they maybe trying to slide in the VOSA blah blah we keep hearing about?

Pull over a pre 60...no MOT....in order to prove road worthiness they give you some VOSA inspection appointment...off you go...heavy mods.... no points scored....declassified! Tax disc now going to cost ya?

Who knows?

What we do know is that the Government lie and cheat!

We shall see.