New MOT Rules… Changes You Need to Know

In 2018, the MOT system was given a major overhaul with several important changes being included. As well as some small additions to the checklist, there are new ways of receiving your MOT result. Let us take a look at the main changes to MOT rules that you need to know before you avail car servicing and MOT testing facilities at somewhere like Elite Direct MOT Centre in London.

Five Pass/ Fail Options

The old MOT was a binary pass-fail affair. This has now been changed to include two outright fails, one marginal result, and two outright passes.

• Dangerous Fail: Your vehicle is in poor condition and is a danger to you and other road users. You will not be allowed to drive your vehicle until this fault has been repaired and if you need to move it to a garage from a test-only centre, it will need to be towed or taken on a flatbed, depending on the type of fault.
• Major Fail: Not quite as serious as the dangerous fault, but still a big problem, a major fail will also prevent you from driving your vehicle for any reason before the fault has been rectified.
• Minor Fail: If you have one small fail, you may be permitted to drive your vehicle to have it repaired, as long as this is done promptly after the test. Your car is not as roadworthy as it should be, but it is not in a dangerous or completely undrivable condition.
• Advisory: This is a pass, but with some areas that are of concern for failure sometime in the future. You will be advised to keep an eye on it, and have it repaired at your earliest convenience, but you will have a passing mark and will be able to drive your car.
• Pass: As it sounds, your car is in good condition and nothing is of concern to the inspector.

Old Cars Are Exempt

Cars over forty years of age: vintage and classic cars respectively, are now exempt from MOTs as they tend to be show cars, rarely driven and beautifully maintained. However, owners can choose to have their car MOT tested for their own piece of mind.

Diesel Particulates

The level of diesel particulates permitted is now lower, with more stringent attempts to reduce roadside air pollution.

Dashboard Warning

If one of your dashboard lights is lit up, this will result in a major fail. This is because these lights are designed to alert you to issues within the car and if they are ignored, this means that the problem could potentially worsen and cause catastrophic fail.

Tyre Inflation

Finally, modern tyres work most efficiently within the optimum inflation range, and this is now so important that it has become a legal requirement.

So, while booking your MOT, make sure you are aware of the new updated rules and we believe that the above mentioned checklist will be a helpful guide in this regard.