Motorcycles to face technical checks under new EU proposals

Car owners are facing annual NCT or MOT checks on cars over five years old while technical checks for scooters and motorbikes will be introduced for the first time under EU proposals.

Vehicles with exceptionally high mileage will have to be checked more often too as research shows the number of accidents increases significantly for these and for vehicles once they reach five years old.

Up to now, NCTs, or MOTs in Britain and Europe, have been compulsory on cars that have been on the road for four years and are repeated every second year. Motorcycles have been exempt.