The annual MOT test was introduced in 1960. This is when the growing number of road users on the expanding road network in the UK began to experience excessive numbers of traffic accidents. Many of them resulting in severe injuries and deaths. This was discovered to be because a great number of vehicles on the road had been used for ten years or more. This begins to fail sometimes catastrophically in busy traffic with disastrous effects. So, after more than sixty years of the MOT, what are the benefits of an MOT?
Ensures Your Car is Roadworthy
The MOT is nothing more or less than a check-up of your vehicle to make sure that it is in a fit state to be driven on public roads. This includes things like ensuring your steering is properly responsive, and that your lights work well so you can see where you are going. And be seen by other road users, and you can stop promptly when you need to. The original list had only three items on it this has grown to over thirty and includes environmental factors like exhaust emissions as well as items like tyre inflation. The correct placement of the number plate and a lack of chips and cracks in the windscreen amongst others. If you have questions about your car’s roadworthy state, you should not wait for your MOT certificate to expire but get it sorted as soon as possible: if it is due, get quality technical care for your vehicle with Elite Direct’s annual MOT check in London.
Ensures Everyone Else’s Car is Roadworthy Too!
But almost more important than this, the MOT test applies to every car over three years old (newer cars are assumed to remain in good condition for at least this length of time). And that means that every other car on the road will be equally roadworthy! Some drivers are a little more cavalier with their maintenance and driving methods. So knowing that even the worst drivers must have cars in a basic state of good repair is a relief.
Assures Your Insurance Broker
You cannot insure your car without a valid MOT certificate. So being able to provide your insurer with an up-to-date certificate reassures them that you are a decent driver with a roadworthy vehicle. In fact, the process is largely automated these days, with your insurer able to pick up your certificate renewal automatically. If you have given permission for them to be given this information.
It Really Works
But the biggest advantage of an MOT is that the system works. Since its implementation, all those years ago, the number of deaths and serious injuries on the roads has been on a steady decline. Though cars have got faster, roads have got busier and more people are driving than at any time in the past.