Your MOT test sticker is valid for 1 year. It is very important to make sure you have the pass certificate with you before it expires as it will be illegal to drive the vehicle on road without one and you might end up getting fined or worse, your licence might be taken off you.
MOT stands for Ministry of Transport and is an annual test that all cars and motorcycles must take to ensure road safety and reduce pollution. Also, you must do an MOT every year as some errors such as worn tyres, broken lights etc., can pose a great threat to other users on the road causing accidents and fatalities. With more than 3 million tests carried out each year, there are bound to be some people who may not possess a valid MOT Reading certificate and could cause serious accidents.
This is why it is important for all vehicle owners to regularly check their MOT status before visiting test centres to get their vehicle pass certificates to avoid any inconveniences. In this article, we would discuss various signs that suggest it is time you should do an MOT for your car.
Your Vehicle Has Just Been Serviced or Repaired
If your car had been serviced or repaired recently, then there are many good chances that the garage might have missed out on changing one of the parts which can lead to failure at the time of inspection. It will make sense if you visit a garage where you carry out a thorough inspection while carrying out other services on your car.
If you fail to carry out the test before your MOT expires, it might result in a fine or disqualification of licence which could be pretty serious if you rely on driving for daily use.
You are Involved in an Accident or Notice Any Crack or Damage on Your Car
When involved in an accident, you will need to repair your vehicle as soon as possible to ensure that it is roadworthy and does not pose any safety threat to other users of the road. If you do not want to go through another examination process once again, then it is best to get the necessary repairs done immediately. It would be even better if you take your car straight away to an expert rather than depending on an unlicensed person to do the basic repairs.
Likewise, if you notice any crack or damage on your car, then it is always better to get it fixed immediately because even a small crack can grow up to a bigger size which might cause major problems at the time of inspection.
You are Following an Excessive Mileage Schedule or Drive Often in Harsh Conditions
If you are driving your vehicle more often than usual, especially in bad weather conditions like strong winds and heavy rainfall, there are many chances that you might end up damaging your tyres or other parts due to constant usage. You can carry out regular check-ups for your tyres thereby avoiding any unnecessary inconveniences by having them replaced in advance before they lead to serious consequences. It is also important to change your oil often enough to ensure that your engine is running smoothly without any hiccups.
If you are travelling long distances, then it would be better if you carry out regular check-ups for other parts of the vehicle which includes brake fluid, headlight bulbs etc., so that you do not end up causing inconvenience to yourself or anyone else at the time of inspection.
Your Vehicle Has Just Passed an MOT Test
It might sound weird but some people have never done an MOT test on their car even after having driven the same for years together. As mentioned before, all private and commercial vehicles must go through the MOT process every year to make sure that they are well maintained and are safe to use.
You might also have heard about people being prosecuted for driving without a valid MOT certificate wherein they faced disqualification of licence from your car service Reading for not only the current year but even the previous years. It is something you would never want to go through so it is better that you immediately go through an MOT test before your car’s current certificate expires.
You Have Not Carried Out Any Repairs or Modifications on Your Vehicle in Recent Months
When you carry out car repair on your vehicle, there are chances that the garage might have missed out on some important checks which could show up during an inspection at a later time. Similarly, if you had made any changes to your vehicle including modifications of parts, fitting of new parts etc., then you should get them checked before your MOT expires.
The garage specialist will be able to tell you about any of the parts which are not part of the original specifications and whether they pose a problem while undergoing an inspection. If you had carried out repairs/changes on your vehicle without getting them tested, it might end up causing problems for you during the time of inspection.
It makes sense to carry out regular check-ups on all essential parts like tyres, brakes etc., to avoid inconveniences at the time of inspections. Until your car’s current MOT certificate expires, make sure that you abide by these tips mentioned above if safety is what matters to you most. Otherwise if ignored, it could lead to serious legal and financial problems.
If you want to know more about car reapair, make sure that you contact a reputable garage like reading garage. It is also important to ensure that the garage you choose for your MOT test is an authorised one as they will provide reliable and trustworthy services at reasonable prices which is what every motorist wants and expects from them.
Author: Sky Smith
Hey, I’m Sky. I’m an automobile blogger living in UK. I like to give information about the servicing and repair of the car to the people.
Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with extra information? It is extremely helpful for me.