Car Race Systems

The MOT abbreviation comes from the Ministry of Transport test first brought into being in 1960 in order to deem if vehicles over a certain age were suitable to be driven on British public highways. Now the Ministry of Transport has become the Department for Transport, the MOT name has stuck.

Often viewed by motorists as an exam one is bound to fail, the MOT test has, incredibly, been around for over 50 years. Originally designed to test the safety and roadworthiness of all vehicles over ten years old the MOT test now applies to all vehicles over three years of age. While certain vehicles, for example tractors, are exempt from MOT testing, all passenger vehicles that have over nine seats must be tested annually regardless of age. The remit of the MOT has now evolved to include an exhaust emission test with the acceptable standard dependent upon the age of the vehicle.

Although nationally recognised as the bugbear of the motorist, the MOT does give peace of mind about a vehicle’s safety and the driver may feel confident in using the car safely for another year. This is especially true in the case of older vehicles.

If a car fails the test the reason for that failure is clearly explained and the owner is given a period of time to have the fault corrected before retesting. For this reason alone it is always a good idea to schedule the MOT a few days before the expiry date of the previous certificate, leaving a margin for any work that may require to be carried out.

All MOT testing stations display the distinctive three-triangle logo in blue. Nowadays the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA) issues the MOT certificate.