If your car is older than three years, an annual MOT is a mandatory test that validates your vehicle’s roadworthiness. When you book your MOT though, do you know exactly what the procedure entails?
Understanding how it works firstly you can check MOT requirements for your vehicle online and then take a little time to so that you can take your car to the service station prepared.
Swat up on MOT
Booking your vehicle’s MOT test year after year not fully comprehending why it is imperative to do so, isn’t ideal. Having an insight into the why and wherefores will make the whole experience less daunting for you.
Knowledge is king when it comes to the ins and outs of an MOT test. Primarily it is there to keep you, your passengers and other road users safe. It’s also a crucial element when it comes to buying or selling a vehicle. A vehicle’s MOT status is going to be the deal-breaker because it’s there to protect both parties.
Don’t risk driving a vehicle without an MOT
Reversing out of the driveway and onto a public road without a valid MOT certificate is against the law and risks a fine of at least £1,000 and points on your licence. If your car is deemed dangerous the fine goes up to £2,500 and it is likely to be impounded. The law has no sympathy for an owner of a vehicle without an MOT chancing their arm and thereby endangering other motorists.
Why is it called an MOT?
Back in 1960, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) recognised the alarming increase in vehicles on the road. Then, cars 10 years or older were subject to a basic test, which involved nothing more than a check on brakes, lights and steering. The Ministry of Transport is now defunct, but the acronym MOT stuck, the only remnant of days gone by. The government has made sure that the test stays abreast of the times and incremental changes have been introduced over the 60 years it has been in existence.
Modern MOT tests take safety to a new level
The tests our vehicles are put through today have become more stringent for good reason. The UK now has more than 40 million registered vehicles on the roads – 60 percent of the country’s population of 66 million.
Just as important as ensuring vehicles aren’t a safety risk, is protecting our environment from toxic fumes. It has been proved that emissions from dense traffic are detrimental to our health and the environment. Any vehicle with an exhaust, be it a scooter or a small car, won’t escape an emissions’ evaluation during its MOT test.
Most motorists understand the importance of complying to the rules and motor manufacturers have spent millions developing new vehicles that comply with the new regulations.
Online MOT support
The days of thumbing through a phonebook’s yellow pages for a certified MOT service station are gone. These days to book your MOT test is easier than its ever been. You can do this on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or home computer in a matter of minutes. All you need is your vehicle’s registration number to see when its next MOT is due.
