Laura (and others),
I'm not entirely sure what your objection to ensuring that all cars are
roadworthy is. Some might see that the MOT seems stringent, but there is
really nothing in there that is not an essential part of ensuring that the car
is safe to take on the roads - apart from emissions, and that you Americans
(and particularly Californians) are much more strict on than the UK. If a car
fails, it is because it is genuinely unsafe - I do not want to have cars
around me where no-one has looked at the brake pipes for 10 years, and they
are so chafed they could give way at any moment. I don't want cars around me
with 3 bald tyres on, so that when they hit the brakes on a damp dual
carriageway because there is a jam up ahead, they slew round and slide into me
(I started to lose the back end of Daffy, on a damp dual carriageway, at 75
mph, a month ago because of my bald rear tyres, and it scared the s*&^ out of
me). Worse, I don't want the cars behind me not to even see that I am braking
because their wipers don't work. I don't want to be dazzled by oncoming cars
with badly adjusted headlamps. These are all essential items.
I will admit that the structural stuff is a bit over-stringent, and I object to
the law that requires you to wear a seatbelt, and that the check includes that
- seatbelts are an excellent idea, but wearing them should be a personal
choice, not law, as you are risking no-one but yourself.
The only true extra expense of the MOT test is the 32 pounds the test itself
costs. Everything else is stuff that you should be doing anyway, and if not,
your car is not safe to be around others on the road. The MOT test cannot
guarantee that every car on the road is safe, without being a weekly check
rather than annual, but it definitely keeps the number of unsafe cars to a
minimum. This has got to be a good thing for everyone.
The MOT test applies to every vehicle over 3 years old - no-one has a get-out
clause (except agricultural vehicles), no industry, no big business. It is
enforced by the fact that all vehicles on the road must buy an annual road tax
disc - a central computer keeps track of these, to ensure everyone has one,
and they will not be issued without the presentation of a valid MOT
certificate. Yes, if you are desperate they can be forged, and I'm sure there
are appointed garages that can be bribed, but most people wouldn't bother.
OK, I'll get off the soap-box, who wants to get on? Come on, if you dare...
:-)
Richard and Daffy
P.S. apologies for seeming a bit behind in this discussion - I subscribe to the
Digest, so I've only just got all the messages on this one!
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