Ministers say they put road safety first as they decided to maintain the period before cars and vans have a first MoT test at three years.
The move comes after a Department for Transport consultation last year to consider changing the wait before the first test to four years.
Most of those responding to the consultation were against the proposals on safety grounds, arguing that the savings to motorists. Calculated by the government to be more than £100 million a year, were outweighed by the risk to road users and the test often highlighted upcoming issues affecting the vehicle. A public survey for the Department for Transport by Populus also showed fewer than half of people were in favour of the change.
Roads Minister Jesse Norman said: “We have some of the safest roads in the world, and are always looking at ways of making them safer.
“Although modern cars are better built and safer than when the MoT test was last changed 50 years ago, there has been a clear public concern that any further changes don’t put people’s lives at risk.”
However, he added that the government was looking at further research to ensure the MoT test evolved with the demands of modern motoring.