The Institute of Motor Industry (IMI) has been campaigning to parliament for the introduction of a new licence for motor technicians working in the UK motor industry.

Each year more than 2,000 accidents are caused by poor vehicle maintenance. According to road safety charity BRAKE, in 2011 there were 2,125 crashes, with 52 resulting in fatalities, attributable to inadequate motor maintenance.

The IMI has already received positive reaction to the initiative from numerous leading automotive companies including: AutoGlass, TrustFord, REMIT and Inchcape UK to name but a few.

UK government has stated that in 2015 it will be legal to own and use driverless cars on UK roads. The IMI believes a level of regulation will be necessary to ensure that motor technicians are compliant with the higher standards of safety checks and maintenance works necessary to help guarantee the safety of motorists once these types of vehicles are in use.

Steve Nash, the CEO of IMI, said, “The imminent prospect of autonomous vehicles on UK roads makes the issue of licensing extremely urgent. Service technicians without the proper training are increasingly putting themselves and motorists at risk."

He added that research undertaken by the IMI has shown that "MPs currently see the motor industry as low skilled, low paid and dirty. It is vital that they and the public come to a better understanding of the requirements necessary to work on modern vehicles, especially with a new wave of technology on the horizon".

The IMI is still trying to get this licensing to be made statutory and they may still have some way to go. In our opinion, ensuring that automotive technicians are highly trained, skilled and regulated will help to keep us all safe on the roads.

It is important to make sure that you always have the correct van insurance when driving your van on the road, this may help if you do suffer an accident that was caused by operating a poorly-maintained vehicle.