Scottish parliament should license car mechanics to protect consumers say voters

The Scottish Parliament should have powers to protect consumers according to 80% of voters. 60% say these powers should be used to introduce a Licence to Practise for car mechanics in Scotland, according to research published by the Institute of the Motor Industry today.

IMI is calling on the Scottish Parliament to introduce a Licence for mechanics to save lives, after research from the road safety charity Brake revealed that 2,000 accidents and 50 fatalities a year are caused by poor vehicle maintenance.

In a letter to the leaders of all the major parties in Scotland, IMI CEO Steve Nash explains that 90% of voters are unhappy when they discover there is no requirement for commercial mechanics to hold a Licence or even any relevant qualifications. Meanwhile, 85% felt that it should not be left to drivers to check if mechanics are qualified.

Given the overwhelming support for licensing north of the boarder, IMI is hopeful that Scottish politicians will be keen to take action ahead of the Westminster Parliament.

Steve Nash said, “Since the Scottish Parliament has shown a progressive attitude to driver safety with the crackdown on the drink drive limit, IMI is hopeful that MSPs will be keen to act independently of Westminster on the issue of licensing automotive technicians.”

IMI also warning that the development of driverless car technology means government action is becoming more urgent.

“The proliferation of hybrid vehicles and complex driver assist systems has already increased the skills requirements for safe working on modern vehicles. Driverless cars will arrive sooner than you think and then the skills gap between the competent professional and “Fred in the Shed” will be ten times greater.  Government action to help consumers make safe choices is now vital to avoid future disasters,” said Steve Nash.

As the professional body for the motor industry, IMI currently assesses the skills of automotive technicians through IMI Accreditation and publishes a list of qualified and trustworthy mechanics on its Professional Register www.imiregister.org.uk.  IMI is offering politicians these two schemes as the template for mandatory licensing to save time and resources.  

IMI will publish the response of the political leaders ahead of the general election in May.