Behavioural insights – the impact of changing current MOT requirements

This TRL report details the work and findings of the behavioural insights investigation undertaken as part of a wider project investigating the impact of making changes to the current MOT system in the UK.

The overall aim of this work was to provide evidence on specific topics relating to possible changes to the current MOT for light vehicles to ensure that it is kept up to date with developing technologies and best practice. The focus of this behavioural insights work was to investigate both the behavioural and attitudinal response of motorists to changes to MOT scheduling, as well as to understand how motorists respond to vehicle malfunction warning indicators.

Findings drawn from across these research tasks suggest that any change to the current MOT system in the UK that reduces or delays the frequency of MOT testing would not be well-received by the majority of the public and likely have a negative impact on overall vehicle safety.