The three-year exemption for the first test was introduced in 1967, but this needs a rethink because LCVs have a consistently lower pass rate than cars, says the website.
DVSA data for 2017 shows that 25% of vans (61,000) failed the first test due to defects such as lighting, brakes and tyres. Typically, a van has clocked up 47,000 miles by the time of the first test – almost twice that of a car.
The website has analysed the data and presented it as its MOT Files, showing common failures by make, model, and year of registration (see the link below).
Daniel Powell, HonestJohn’s managing editor, says: “Online shopping has fuelled record growth for the van market... and added hundreds of thousands of new vans to our roads.
“Our MOT data shows that drivers are putting themselves and others at risk, often without knowing, so it’s imperative that vans get their first MOT before cars.”
Powell adds: “The introduction of a two-year MOT exemption would not affect the majority of responsible and honest van operators in the UK, who are meticulous when it comes to vehicle maintenance. Instead it would target drivers who do not take vehicle safety very seriously by failing to perform the most basic of checks.”