MOT decision leaves 1 in 10 at ‘dangerous defects’ risk
Published: 08 July, 2020
The government is being accused of taking “a serious safety risk” by allowing millions of motorists to keep their cars on the road until January 2021 without a current MOT.
While drivers with MOTs due from 1 August will need to get a MOT as normal, those with a MOT due date on or before 31 July will still receive a six-month exemption from testing.
Analysis of the latest DVSA data by comparison service BookMyGarage, shows that 9.1% of cars on the road today could be officially classified as having ‘dangerous defects’, with tyres and brakes accounting for the majority of faults.
DfT show that defective tyres were a contributing factor in 17 fatal accidents in 2018 and caused a total of 459 accidents in the year. Faulty brakes were to blame for more than 500 accidents and 15 fatalities.
While with one in three vehicles fail their MOT every day in normal conditions, BookMyGarage expect the average failure rate during 2020 to increase as a result of the exemption.
Karen Rotberg, Managing Director of BookMyGarage, observed: “It was a sensible policy during lockdown, when vehicle use was limited, but the whole point of the MOT is to make sure dangerous vehicles are not on our roads for the sake of the driver, passengers and other road users,” said
She added: “The government is taking a serious safety risk now though and we urge motorists to take a common-sense view.”
The Top 5 'Dangerous Defects' recorded by more than 65,000 MOT testers across the UK between July and September 2019 were tyres, which made up 58.1% of all dangerous defects recorded, followed by brakes at 29.3%, suspension at 5.5%, chassis at 2.4% and lights on 2%. For more information visit: https://bookmygarage.com/blog/safety-warning-for-motorist-looking-to-maximise-mot-exemption/
- White-knuckle Spring predicted for garages as MOTs shift into late Summer and beyond
Very few MOTs are expected to be taking place in April and May this year as a result of 2020’s MOT Exemption, but the situation is expected to normalise by the summer, new figures suggest.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the DVSA by BookMyGarage.com, show MOT test numbers dropped by 79% last April and 61% in May. Although the MOT Exemption was in place until the end of July, test numbers were down by just 16% in June, 4% in July, and by August had surpassed 2019 by 9%.
MOTs tend to lead to service bookings for workshops according to BookMyGarage, where its booking data suggests 70% of motorists book both together. Karen Rotberg, Co-Founder of BookMyGarage.com commented: “Overall, the news is more positive than originally feared. We recognise that April and May will be difficult months for the industry but importantly we know MOT numbers will have recovered by the summer. “It’s also worth remembering that 2021 will not be an exact reflection of 2020. MOT due dates are determined by factors beyond when the last MOT took place, such as when used cars get sold with a fresh MOT and by three-year-old cars which will be having their first MOT this year and were therefore immune to last year’s extension.”
- MOT Connectivity: Time for an equipment upgrade
The last 18 months have seen several changes to MOT rules come into force across the UK, affecting both brakes and emissions. There is more to come however, and guidance issued by the DVSA at the end of 2019 signalled the introduction of further changes affecting the use of connected equipment in 2020.
The requirement to use connectable roller brake testers was introduced on 1 October 2019 and decelerometers followed suit on 1 February 2020. To comply with the new rules, garages and MOT centres making a new site application or replacing old equipment, are required to buy connected products capable of connecting to the MOT testing service. The DVSA has also announced its intention to add diesel smoke meters, exhaust gas analysers and headlamp beam aligners to the list later this year.
Benefits
Connected equipment could bring a number of benefits for garages and MOT centres. Unlike the current manual input system, connected equipment allows results to be automatically transferred as the MOT test takes place, saving time, increasing data accuracy and helping to reduce the risk of fraud. Furthermore, the data collected will allow the DVSA to spot any trends and patterns, which may require further investigation.
It is expected that all MOT tools and equipment will become increasingly connected in the future. With this in mind, garages and MOT centres should purchase products that offer this capability, in order to future-proof their MOT bays. While purchasing new equipment will undoubtedly raise financial concerns for some operators, they should regard such equipment as a long-term investment which will improve efficiency and deliver returns over time. Buying low-value alternatives is a false economy and could result in downtime due to equipment failure. While high-quality equipment provided by market-leading brands typically comes with after-sales support, including upgrades and retrofitting options.
Factors
Before purchasing new equipment there are several factors to consider and connectivity is increasingly important. To assist them in making the right choice, garages and MOT centres should select a product given on the DVSA’s approved equipment list or one that can be upgraded as and when necessary. They should also consider that further rule changes to increase connectivity are likely to be introduced in the future. Choosing easily compatible products that can be linked through the same software and controlled from just one station will result in a far simpler solution and a reduced chance of installation issues.
Where possible, garages should also look for equipment that can perform more than one function, for instance, MOT bays that also offer wheel alignment. Dual revenue options unlock a host of other business opportunities and ensure that equipment can be used its full potential, even in quieter times.
Ultimately, growing use of connected equipment is likely to become a differentiator for garages and MOT centres in the year ahead. Those that decide to embrace automation can expect to benefit from faster MOT test times, improved customer service and less downtime due to faults or errors.
- MOT extension about to be terminated?
Is the six-month MOT extension about to be terminated? The decision by the DVSA to end a parallel arrangement for HGVs early next month has raised expectations for an imminent announcement, and statistics have shown over two million drivers have till sought MOTs despite the testing holiday.
- High road or low road? Scottish cars top MOT failure poll
Cars in Scotland are the least likely in the UK to pass their MOT, with cars in Devon coming a close second, while cars in a number of London boroughs are achieving the highest pass rates, new research has revealed.
- MOT demand: NGK says “be prepared”
With DVSA figures indicating that 1.86m cars are on the road without a valid MOT certificate resulting from the MOT exemption, NGK is urging garages to be prepared for the worst when these vehicles do eventually get sent in for their test, with emissions issues likely to loom large.
