A recent study has shown that the number of people going through the MOT tests has significantly increased despite the tests getting tougher to clear. The last year saw a 37% increase in the failure rate of cars attempting to clear the test.
There are multiple reasons for this result, however, the significant ones are that the tests, performed on cars were old and outdated. This was an issue since a lot of them didn’t have tasks significant to a majority of cars on the road. With every passing year, the technology powering vehicles improved, new features and additional facilities were added, and the price factors changed. These tests weren’t taking any of this into consideration. Furthermore, the tests were created and implemented by a defunct ministry, another major reason why there weren’t significant improvements. The MOT tests are currently conducted by the Department of Transport and they have been working on a better system.
The reason for a larger number of people going through the MOT test was the hit to the vehicle market. The global vehicle market is currently having a tough time with their numbers. Many reasons for these are the changes to vehicle engines and pollution issues which are making many switch to public transport or electric vehicles. This is causing the prices of vehicles to increase, making it tougher to purchase new vehicles, thereby increasing the value of the second-hand market.
Additionally, the introduction of Uber and similar vehicle hauling companies allow people to travel in any car of their choosing based on their fancy or requirements without digging too deep in their pockets, which also forces people to stay away from owning cars.
The MOT tests call for vehicles above three years to be tested annually.
The Department created a
position for certain
mechanics to test them by affiliating to private garages
for the convenience of the owners. All they have
to do is book an appointment and drop off their cars. The tests include some elements quite significant and detailed, like checking the engine, the function of
brakes, proper flow of oil, among others, while others are a lot simpler like the working of the windscreen wipers, making sure there’s windscreen cleaning liquid and so on.
The number of people handling the MOT test is significantly increasing since people initially purchased new cars every few years so as not to worry about breakage or ware and tare, now, however, this changed and they prefer fixing older cars since purchases of new ones are no longer economically viable.
If a vehicle is found failing the test, the owner has to get the issue rectified. The car would not be allowed to ply on the streets unless it cleared the test and received a certificate stating the same. Owners are given a couple of days within which they have to get the car fixed before getting it reexamined. Furthermore, driving without the right certificate would involve the owner receiving hefty fines.