Cars which are more than six years old could be forced to have an NCT every year under rules being proposed by the European Commission.
Compulsory tests for motorcycles and scooters will also be introduced if the changes are given the green light by the European Parliament and member states.
As it stands, cars in the Republic must be tested once they are four years old and every two years after that. In the proposed testing regime, a car will be subject to testing after four years, will have its next test two years later and will be subject to testing every year after that.
According to the commission, over five people die on Europe’s roads every day in accidents linked to technical failure – this equates with 2,000 fatalities and many more injuries yearly. It said 8 per cent of motorcycle accidents are linked to technical issues.