The latest MOT News for car drivers.
News of regulation changes or procedures which may affect your car’s MOT Test, what the DfT and DVSA are doing and other items of interest to the motorist.
Recently in the news the BBC highlighted the issue of the glare from LED, laser light and bi-xenon sourced headlights on modern cars. This isn’t new. For some years now people have been put off driving at night due to the blinding intensity of those modern headlamp systems. And the problem is made worse by the increasing sales of larger…
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Tyre safety, MOT failure reasons, and how garages can tackle tyre neglect. A Growing Trend: Drivers Waiting for the MOT Before Addressing Tyres Across the UK, tyre neglect remains one of the most persistent issues encountered by MOT stations and independent garages. Research consistently shows that a large percentage of drivers only replace their tyres when prompted by an MOT…
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Ghost MOTs refers to the situation where MOT Testing Stations issue MOT pass certificates on vehicles that have never been in an MOT Testing Station. This practice is advertised on some social media sites and poses a serious threat to road safety. Whilst this probably only applies to a very few dishonest Testing Station owners—or perhaps some Testers who do…
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When people think of electric vehicles, they often picture cutting-edge technology and futuristic design — but EVs actually have a history stretching back nearly two centuries. The first crude electric carriage was built in 1832 by Robert Anderson, powered by non-rechargeable batteries. Over 50 years later, in 1884, London inventor Thomas Parker created the first practical, fully electric production car,…
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A recent analysis of over 209 million MOT test records by MoneySuperMarket has revealed which car models are performing best — and worst — when it comes to first-time MOT failure rates. What the article doesn’t mention though is the age of these vehicles. On motester.co.uk’s “Your Car’s MOT Results” page, you can look up how a car of a…
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The current MOT fee was set on 6th April 2010 – over 15 years ago at the current cost of £54.85. After the DVSA cost of the £2.05 slot fee, this leaves just £52.80 received by MOT Test Stations for an MOT vehicle examination that can take up to an hour, or even more. Are there any other costs of…
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The DVSA has issued an urgent warning to drivers across the UK: millions are not signed up to the free MOT reminder service — putting themselves at risk of missed MOTs, fines, and vehicle non-compliance. According to the article, almost one in four drivers eligible for the reminder service haven’t registered. Without reminders, many motorists simply forget to arrange their…
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MOT testers and garages are being urged to help drivers avoid costly mistakes, as new warnings highlight how easily motorists can fall foul of the law around MOT tests – sometimes before their car even reaches the ramp. A report published by WalesOnline reveals that drivers could be hit with fines of up to £1,000 if they misunderstand their MOT…
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Rumours of a huge MOT price increase have been circulating on the internet recently – so what’s the story, and how reasonable is the current price for a car’s MOT inspection? The current MOT fee – is it fair? Several of those news items claimed that the cost of the annual MOT test for cars could soon exceed £300. That’s…
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DVSA has announced the following information regarding a strike by some vehicle Testers and Traffic Examiners. Some vehicle testing and enforcement services might be affected by strike action.* * see update below Some DVSA staff who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are planning to take strike action during June 2023. This includes: The strike action…
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Deadly defects…! The Government has recently issued a consultative document suggesting a change for the first MOT Test to be at four years old and two-yearly thereafter. Yet data we have discovered shows that since the Government last made the same proposal in 2010/11 (which was rejected on road safety grounds), the number of cars with “dangerous” defects cited during…
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There have been articles in the media recently about changes to the MOT Test; a change from the first Test being due, currently set to be carried out after a vehicle is three years old and then subsequently every year, being changed to after a vehicle is four years and possibly five years old, and then every two years. The…
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DVSA announces streamlined MOT reminder service In a recent press release the Government’s Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, (DVSA) gave themselves a pat on the back for having achieved what they suggest is a landmark result of four million motorists having signed up for the Government’s MOT reminder service. At the same time, they announced several new features to improve…
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Vehicle ‘Safety Recalls’ and the MOT It is surprising how few motorists don’t know what a vehicle recall is. Mainly attributable to road safety issues, it is when a vehicle has an undiscovered defect during manufacture – which the car makers then have to ‘recall’ back to their dealerships to have that defect remedied. Many are not safety related, and…
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Should all MOT Testing Stations buy new Diesel Emission Test equipment (yet retaining their current diesel smoke meters) in the interests of public health?
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With the obvious exception of ‘emissions’, pretty much everything else on an electric vehicle is subject to the same MOT safety checks as a regular internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle.
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Diesel Particulate Filters and the MOT A Parliamentary lobbying group called The Westminster Commission for Road Air Quality (WCRAQ) set up by Barry Sheerman, the Labour MP for Huddersfield, claims that up to 10 percent of diesel cars could have faulty or damaged diesel particulate filters (DPFs). The organisation has further suggested that stricter MOT Testing should be introduced to…
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Chris Price says to motorists who may be using their vehicles for the first time for some time for Monday’s school run:
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Testing Stations have a legal obligation to carry out Testing as agents of the Government for the DVSA; which includes the further legal obligation to be able to road test a vehicle in some circumstances
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Some tyres over 10 years old to fail the MOT DVSA to email details to Testing Stations Monday 11th January Late last year the Government announced that any tyres over ten years old on HGV and PSV vehicles will be banned. Whilst this does not apply to the majority of vehicles tested at private Testing Stations, it might to some…
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