Personal injury news

Potential MOT changes and road traffic accident claims

Proposals to make the MOT test a requirement only every two years, or every four years for new vehicles, could mean that there will be an increase in road traffic accident claims for personal injury if the scheme goes ahead.

Philip Hammond, the Transport Secretary, has said that a new MOT system would be more practical, since the current MOT method was created by ministers in the 1960s and now cars being manufactured are much safer and more road-worthy than vehicles which were being made then.

Should the proposal come into effect motorists would save money on testing fees, but there are concerns that the number of car crashes and subsequent road deaths would increase resulting in an estimated 16 to 30 more road fatalities a year.

The president of the AA stated, ‘Even if you have a new car that is three years old, you can still have bald tyres and failing lights.

"We have surveyed 60,000 drivers and most of them think we should stick with the current regime.

"Rather than being a burden on the driver, we think it's a good safety reminder once a year."

Victims of road accidents who sustain personal injury can make compensation claims for their pain and suffering if they are not liable for the collision.

Should the proposal become a reality, road safety campaigners say there could be an increase in the number of road traffic accident claims made, as the condition of vehicles would not be checked as regularly.