I've got an interesting problem here...

I've got Asperger's and with Asperger's comes a lot of phobias, including a phobia of airbags. I get really nervous behind a wheel with an airbag, worried that it may go off in my face.

I've had my car altered to not include an airbag on my side by replacing the wheel with an aftermarket steering wheel, this wasn't something I did myself, this was professional done with parts from Demon Tweeks, and a professional local garage fitted the wheel for me.

I found out that as of March last year if the car is missing any safety device that was originally part of the car then it is an MOT failure.

This leads me to a major problem - as all cars now come with a drivers side airbag fitted and I have a phobia about one being there and the MOT rules state it must be there where does that leave me? Does it mean that every time I go for the MOT I have to have the airbag put back in, MOT it, and then pay for it to be removed, or can any exemptions apply on the grounds of phobias? At the end of the day it seems stupid as it's only me who will be injured if the airbag isn't there anyway (and not only that surely the seatbelt is meant to keep you from hitting the steering wheel anyway?)

I have looked on the DVLA website and phoned them up and it seems my only option is to pay to have the car registered as a radically altered vehicle, but my local garage doesn't think that'll work as they say that's only really for rally cars and I'd need all the suspension changing or seats changing as well - is that the case or can I register a car as radically altered just for having the airbag removed?

Btw my insurance knows about the airbag not being there and they were more than happy about it - which is why it surprised me when calling up VOSA they told me the car will be an MOT failure because it's missing - I couldn't understand at all then why the insurance were more than happy with it if it is classed as an MOT failure.

Edited by Theklf99 on 15/08/2014 at 10:11