A roadworthiness test is currently being drawn up by the European Commission which is something which will dictate the various standards which a car has to live up to when it is first registered. Various motoring organisations in the UK have warned that this is going to mean the various modifications that are made to cars may not be possible unless they were part of the car when first registered.
It is not yet clear what sort of extent this test is going be to and whether it is going to affect all modifications. It could be the case that it involves very small aspects, such as the fitting of alloy wheels. It could also be a problem for people who enjoy restoring cars up to 21st-century standards.
This is in contradiction to the direction that the government has been moving in, and they have recently said that classic cars, which were constructive before 1960, do not have to pass an MOT test. Currently, the government estimate that there are around 160,000 cars on the UK roads, which were constructed over 50 years ago. The government have stated that they believe that this exemption is justified because typically classic cars are very well maintained and they typically have a much lower accident rate the newer cars.
It is believed that the government have recently asked for more details about the plans so that they can better inform people about what changes could be possible. They’ve also raised concerns about whether this legislation would mean people are unable to upgrade the safety facilities in their old cars to bring them to modern standards.
