Age of vehicles.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Ecky

Vermont doesn't do emissions testing, but a CEL is an automatic fail. I feel the state inspection is actually pretty useful here as it keeps cars off the road whose tie rods, brakes and other important-to-safety parts are near failing due to rust.

What percentage of accidents are caused by loose tie rods, worn brakes and rust? I'm sure it's responsible for some accident somewhere, but I'm lead to believe distracted and impaired driving accounts for the large majority.

Is it really worth the cost, both in time and in money, to tell people that their crappy car is crappy? It's yet another snare for poor people to stress over things they don't have money for.

Perhaps emission testing is worthwhile in certain dense and polluted cities such as Mexico City, but there is no reason for it in much of the US, especially in the rural areas.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by JockoT

When it comes to running old cars most people in the UK do so because they cannot afford any more...

Unless it's something like a 2CV. Saw a lot of those when I used to visit my friends there. It also seems that the British are much more up-front about status things. My friend (upper management at a tech company) was happy at first that his position entitled him to a company car, as he was hoping for a nice British sports car. No, he was told that his status required him to drive a big BMW :-(

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

We don't need emissions testing here. Main air pollution here is dust and dirt.

But if you don't have emissions testing, you soon would need it :-)

And really, at least with the level of emissions testing done here (Nevada), failing the test almost always means that there is something seriously wrong with the car.

[JockoT]

There are many old car, such as 2CV's, Morris Minors and even older, run by enthusiasts, but these are not used as day to day working transport. We have a government site that shows the MOT results of any vehicle. If I see an old vehicle like we've mentioned, I check its MOT history (also gives date when first registered). This includes the mileage between tests, and often you find they have only covered a couple of hundred miles in the year since its previous test.
Companies see their status measured by the company cars their management are supplied with. Therefore a BMW, Jaguar or Mercedes makes a statement. A Ford Focus would be seem as a company that does things on the cheap. Their green credentials may be measured by their sales staff driving hybrids and upper managers in Teslas. It is all about how other companies see them. This was actually brought in, firstly, by US companies. The old British establishments expected their managers to travel by train (albeit 1st Class!).

[MetroMPG]

So even classic vehicles are required to pass the annual MOT?

[JockoT]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

So even classic vehicles are required to pass the annual MOT?

Vehicles prior to 1st January 1960 do not require an MOT or tax.
1 January 1960 to 7 January 1977 requires MOT but no tax and from 8th January 19977 require an MOT and tax.
You can get a voluntary MOT for pre-1960 vehicles (some insurers may require it) but even if not, you must still keep it in a roadworthy condition. You can be fined up to £2,500 and get 3 penalty points for using a vehicle in a dangerous condition.
Vehicles since 1960, though requiring an MOT, do not need to meet the stringent requirements of current vehicles. For instance seat belts. If a vehicle did not require seat belts when manufactured then they are not needed for an MOT, however if they are fitted, whether needed or not, they must pass the test. Emission testing is also a sliding scale. A 1990's vehicle has relaxed emission standards compared to a 2010 vehicle.
Below is the MOT information for an old car that was obviously voluntarily MOT'd on a random basis.

AUSTIN SEVEN
MOT valid until
15 September 2012

Registration
VY6392

Fuel type
Petrol
Colour
Blue
Date registered
14 March 1935

MOT history

Date tested
16 September 2011
Mileage 74,823 miles
MOT test number
3195 8995 1424
PASS
Expiry date
15 September 2012

Date tested
23 April 2010
Mileage 74,291 miles
MOT test number
1637 6341 0151
PASS
Expiry date
22 April 2011

Date tested
7 July 2005
Mileage 74,250 miles
MOT test number
5401 9898 5166
PASS
Expiry date
6 July 2006

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by JockoT

Vehicles prior to 1st January 1960 do not require an MOT or tax.

Well, if I ever move to Britain, maybe I can finally get the MG T-series that I wanted as a kid. Or maybe even a Widgeon 7 :-)

[JockoT]

MG TC is one of my favourites. An instructor I had drove one and we went for the odd spin in it. Loved it. British Racing Green and wire wheels. Glorious.
Found this TA for sale at the moment.
Used Cars for Sale - Auto Trader UK

[ksa8907]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Why would you want to subject everyone to another layer of bureaucracy, hassle, and additional fees to accomplish almost nothing? Half the of those who technically fail the test are passed anyhow.

It's a waste of time and resources that could be better spent doing something else.

Maybe we need a department that tests the testing centers, and then another department that tests that department, and so on and so forth. I think I've just solved the employment problem; everyone can work for the government!

Im not suggesting a red tape nightmare, just an annual or bi annual sniff test to ensure people are not purposely modifying their vehicles to pollute more.

[JockoT]

There is no way to fudge the emissions test here unless the garage has a "good" vehicle that they can use to stick the probe up. The test equipment is part of the DVSA computer system and the data goes straight to them. It is the DVSA that provides the pass certificate, not the garage.
And garages are secretly checked by DVSA testers, just like "secret shoppers".
This is the type of thing you get.

[freebeard]

My first car was only eleven years old, and cost $100. The car in my avatar
was put together from pieces of others.

In [current year] my Superbeetle is 46 years old and the Dasher is 39.