Government plans to revise the MOT will mean cars will only have to be checked once every two years.

As in Europe, the first test will take place when a car is four years old.

Currently new cars are tested after three years and then annually but a review by the Treasury has suggested that motorists could save £465 million every year by adopting the EU regulations.

Led by Lord Davidson, the review is part of a bid by Gordon Brown to cut back on bureaucracy 

Britain’s regulations were found to be among the strictest in Europe, with the exceptions only of Hungary and Latvia, and Ministers believe modern technology allows for less regular testing. 

Although individual motorists would save money by only paying the £50 test fee every two years, critics fear the implications for road safety.

Nearly 30% of cars fail the annual test and safety campaigners say the plans could mean over half the vehicles on the roads are not roadworthy.