Classic vehicles will be exempted from the MoT test, Roads Minister Mike Penning announced today.

Classic and historic vehicles are often very well maintained by their owners and have a much lower accident and MoT failure rate than newer vehicles.

The current requirement to undergo an MoT test goes over and above the obligations set out in European legislation. Following a public consultation which showed high levels of support for the proposals, vehicles manufactured before 1960 will be exempted from the MoT test from 18th November 2012 reducing costs for owners.

Owners of affected vehicles will still be able to take exempt vehicles for an MoT test on a voluntary basis.

Mike Penning said:

“We are committed to cutting out red tape which costs 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.

“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.”

The response to the consultation is available.

Notes to Editors

1. Pre-1960 licensed vehicles make up about 0.6% of the total number of licensed vehicles in Great Britain, but are involved in just 0.03% of road casualties and accidents.
2. Evidence shows that the initial MoT test failure rate declines by the age of vehicle after the vehicle is 13 years old.

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Thanks to Matt Kill for the heads up on this.