If you drive for a living or run a fleet of vehicles in your business, you need to be up to speed on new rules being introduced to the MOT later this Spring. The changes will make it more difficult for cars and vans to pass their MOT after 20 May.
What are the key changes?
- Emissions tests are getting tougher.
- New 3 category ranking for defects to replace current fail and advisory fault system. Faults to be ranked as either Dangerous, Major or Minor. Minor faults will be allowed to pass with the faults being recorded (similar to the current advisory system); Major and Dangerous faults will result in an automatic fail.
- Steering faults will be subject to new criteria. A leaking steering box could be classified as either a Minor or Major fault, depending on how bad the leak is.
- Reverse lights and brake discs will be subject to inspection to see if they are significantly or obviously worn.
- Front fog lamps (fitted to vehicles first used from 1st March 2018) and daytime running lamps (fitted as original equipment on or after 1st March 2018) will be checked.
- Diesel vehicles will be subject to more stringent testing. Those fitted with a diesel particulate filter will be tested to see if they give out visible smoke of any colour and those that do will get a Major fault and automatically fail. If the filter has been removed or tampered with it will not pass, unless it can be proved that it has been done to clean the filter.
- The smoke limit test will be tightened up and limits significantly reduced for diesel vehicles.
- Some new components have been added to the list of items that will be included in the MOT. Noise suppression systems (such as exhaust silencers and under-bonnet noise deadeners) and anti-theft devices are now on the list for checking.
- Some classic cars (vehicles over 40 years old at the time of the test) will be exempt from the test if they haven’t been extensively modified. In order to qualify the car needs to be registered with the DVLA as a “vehicle of historic interest”.
It’s possible that further changes may still be made before details of the final test are confirmed. Make sure you keep an eye on any updates so you know what to expect when the new test comes in to force.
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At Anthony Jones we have a specialist team who know the motor insurance market inside out. So if you have a car, van or a fleet of commercial vehicles you’re looking to insure, there’s no better place to come. Give us a call on 0208 712 4273 and talk to one of our friendly experts.
