American Reacts to What's a MOT Test? - UK Vehicle Inspections
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- Опубликовано: 16 окт 2024
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In this video I react to what a MOT test is and what happens during this procedure. As someone who lives in an area with no car inspections I'm shocked at just how much of the vehicle is inspected for both safety and emissions in an MOT. UK vehicle owners have to do this every single year!
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i do not understand how a country like America does not have annual vehicle inspections. There must be millions of cars in America which are dangerous and un-roadworthy - shocking!
Because in America, you have the right to individual liberty to make your own decisions. Not like here in Britain where daddy government has to know what you are up to & when. You can't drive here unless daddy government authorises you to do so.
Yes, it's just too bad when the government says you have to protect your own safety, that of your family and that of other road users.
@@Maddie_Madds So you think your right to drive a dangerous car, outwieghs the rights of every other road user & pedestrians to be safer from your lack of saftey.... what a selfish attitude
Plus in the US you need a official driving licence as well..... so your whole argument falls apart
@@Maddie_MaddsHave you ever been a passenger in a car being driven by an american in europe? I have. It was life threatening since the person had no clue what they were doing, nor did they even care. For that matter, have you ever driven in the US? It's pretty baffeling to see when people just overtake into oncoming traffic because they have no situational awerness. Thats the down side of letting everyone do whatever they want all the time.
@@Maddie_Madds It's not about individual liberty when you are driving a ton of metal at speed, that can easily kill or main other road users if your brakes fail, or your tires a bald, etc.
Am I the only one, who when Steve asks a question, actually replies out loud? 😁
Me TOOO........HaHa..
Me too. It's good to know that most vehicles on UK roads are road safe. @@ickleone33
ha ha I'm the same
Guilty
No!
Driving without a valid MOT certificate immediately incurs a fine of £1000 and adds 6 points to your licence. It also immediately invalidates your car insurance which is mandatory so that is another £300 and another 6 points. (Note that 12 points within three years kills your licence for at least 6 months.) It also invalidates your road tax and that would be a fine of between £80-£2500. You would be discovered extremely quickly as ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras are operated by both local police forces and the Highways Authority. They automatically check registration plates against databases held by both the police and the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). So as your vehicle's MOT, insurance and tax records are in those databases - you would be automatically caught and possibly intercepted by police if it is determined that your vehicle is in a potentially dangerous condition.(Generally people get their MOT booked alongside their annual service so if anything needs fixing it'll be found and sorted on-site - provided you agree.) It may all seem harsh and potentially expensive, but there is little in the way of UK accidents caused by faulty vehicles - as a direct contrast to places without annual safety checks and professional maintenance.
I've driven in the US, EU and UK. The comparative poor condition of vehicles in the US really stands out. I still find it odd when I see major car parts that have fallen off vehicles when driving in the States. Vehicles in the UK are very safe. If you take care of the little things, the big things will never be a problem.
Me too. Scary.
Makes perfect sense to have your car checked its safe, if in the US a car that unsafe to drive and causes a accident is there a lot of sueing going on then? Or worse
Yeah especially when wheels go flying off since they wasnt bolted on properly!!
All vehicles in any part of the world are very safe safe if you take care of it.
@@uk-critz579 You are correct. The difference in the UK is that you are legally obliged to take care of your vehicle, or you can't have it on the road. There's a channel called 'Just Roll'd In' You'll see all the vehicles are in the US. None of them would have been able to get even close to the appalling conditions we see in their videos if they were in the UK.
I do find it incredible that any country or state would have no regular inspection regime. Thats taking a massive risk with everyones lives on the public roads.
HI THERE IS ONE THING YOU ARE MISSING WEATHER IN THE USA THE WEATHER IS MUCH MORE SUNNY AND DRY NOT THE WET SALTY RAIN WE HAVE HERE
@@michael6692 Im not sure why that would mean no inspection regime is needed? You telling me stuff doesn't rust in the USA? Cos I've seen photos of Detroit...
@@michael6692 Have you never seen the rain in the Pacific Northwest? The tornados and hurricanes in the mid west and Gulf states, the four months of snow in the northern states, when it comes to weather, the UK ain't seen nothin'
salty rain haha, you might wanna google that one.@@michael6692
Welcome to America. The country where a frightening number of drivers seem to treat a red light as purely advisory rather than an absolute.
I am suprised at some people not liking MOT's I like the fact that when it passes I know its safe to drive.
I like that it's Basically a car check-up giving peace of mind over its condition
Plus it applies to everyone so the road is overall much safer
Generally morons who believe they have a right to be a danger to everyone else.
I like the safety tests but the emission test is bullshit!
Many people don't like it just because it's an inconvenience to them. Of course it's an extra stress that no one needs and costs money. People with older vehicles can fear the cost of fixing the issues, especially if there's a problem on the chassis or emissions for example. I can understand it if money is tight and you need the vehicle in your everyday life. People have trouble seeing the bigger picture at times when it has a negative effect on their own life.
I can see some worrying they will have a road illegal vehicle and thus get screwed when it comes to working.
I was honestly shocked to hear that there are places in the US with no safety checks.
Imagine a scenario approaching an intersection and you have your whole family in a car, your light's green so you're happily sailing through. The car approaching the red light has had no inspection, has dodgy brakes and bald tyres and suddenly can't stop. Suddenly due to no fault of your own, your family no longer exists because someone didn't have a legal responsibility to make sure their car was safe to be on the road.
The USA is backwards in so many different ways, it honestly doesn't surprise me. Every American I've ever met has always been very patriotic and arguably brainwashed into believing America is the greatest thing ever. They go on about "Freedom" as if we Brits have none, yet they have the highest percentage of their population incarcerated compared to any other country in the world... jaywalking is a crime, yet you can drive about in a dodgy vehicle that hasn't ever been inspected since it left the factory putting other people at risk.
I'm currently staying in Spain and Spain is also often considered less "Health and safety" than the UK and they have quite a laid back approach to things and life in general... with a "tomorrow" and "Don't worry about it" attitude. Yet even in Spain they have something called an ITV which is Spain's equivalent of an MOT. This is also conducted on an annual basis.
@@thefiestaguy8831 remember pimp my ride? some of the wrecks that came into that garage? And how they tried to do it here but the cars were in better nick and half the mods weren't allowed?
same thing.
@@astrothsknot I do recall that show, do you remember the TV show "Sweet 16"?
Always featured some pompous, spoilt American girl celebrating her 16th birthday and her parents throwing stupid amounts of money at it as per her demands, limousines, massive house party, house full of 15 and 16 year old boys and girls, her being presented with about 10k worth of gifts followed by a nice shiny new 4x4 or truck parked in the drive with a ribbon around it for her....
What a state America really is in if that's what they consider "Entertainment"....
It's not just the us, there are many countries that don't have safety checks like the middle east, parts of Africa and a few more in Europe
@@thefiestaguy8831...yea, as a Brit, I've never understood why 'jaywalking' is a criminal offence - it's nuts! It seems 'orwellian' to impose such a law. Germany also has this law...as do several other European countries.
The individual should be responsible for their own safety when crossing the road. If they choose not to cross the road at a designated pedestrian crossing point, then that's entirely their business.
It's not the responsibility of the State to tell them where to cross the road. Brits have always jaywalked. They've done it practically since cars first appeared on our roads. Long may 'jaywalking' continue. Who's the 'land of the free' now then America, eh??!
If you are in a collision, the seat must be able to move (if not damaged in the accident) to make it easier to escape the vehicle.
Good point 😊
With the seat adjustment thing, beat in mind the MOT is applied to the car and stays with it for a year. If you sell it next week to someone taller or shorter than you, it won't be safe for them if they can't adjust the seat position.
exactly this .
The other aspect is egress in an emergency - for example if the body of the car has changed shape after an accident, moving the seat may be the only quick way to extract the driver and the front passenger.
@@phedders this. After my bad accident caused by another driver the air ambulance wanted me out asap.
The fire brigade wanted to cut me out.
They compromised by saying they will do one attempt at using the spinal board behind me, putting my seat as flat as possible and pushed the seat right back to get room to get me out and if that didn’t work without risk of injury they were cutting me out.
This was because air ambulance thought my pelvis was broken and my ex colleagues at the WD were already altered and waiting for me and had the external fixator ready and waiting to stabilise my pelvis and to do that surgery in the resus. The golden hour is important to meet in traumas
Not being able to adjust the seat is not a reason for failure. On manually adjusted seats, the adjusting mechanism is tested in a few positions to make sure it locks correctly and doesn't come loose and allow unexpected movement.
I just looked up the stats for fatal traffic accidents per 100,000 vehicles. The US is nearly 3 times higher than the UK, despite your roads being so wide! So it's either due to terrible driving, terrible safety standards, or a mix of both. Take your pick. 😅
Their driving "test" doesn't help.
Practically non existent.
@@101steel4Makes sense. The stat for India is 8 times higher than even the US, and I understand the test there involves little more than driving 100ft and safely coming to a stop. 🫤
It's 3 factors. Very poor standards of driving because of very superficial and poor quality driving education. Poor standards of vehicles, because vehicles lack the safety features required in Europe and Asia and because they don't have annual safety inspection checks. And very poor quality road and pedestrian infrastructure because the roads don't have any of the sophisticated traffic management and safety features that roads in first world Europe and Asia have as standard.
Also better emergency services I have been told.
@@Ozzpot I went to Delhi for a week and the driving there is insanity, that stat does not surprise me it's lower than I would expect tbh 😅
Hi. Another interesting reaction video. I think the fact that we have to do this shows the difference in attitude in that in the USA it’s about your individual freedoms but we also have to think about our collective responsibilities to the community, as well as protect our individual freedoms.
100%
Its got nothing to do with Community it was a TAX created by the Government. It was created to raise TAXES nothing else. In 1960 it was brought in for every 10years then in 1967 it was changed to cars over 3 years. I know I was around at the time.
Yes, they'd rather a child killed than have freedoms infringed.
Guns and school shootings being a prime example.
You'd think as a father that his or anyone's main concern would be the safety of their children above personal 'freedoms'. It's strange to me how so many US-Americans value their own freedom to do xyz but they seem to have such little concern for other people's freedom to live their lives without being harmed by others. It's a very selfish outlook which often seems to have no real thought behind it. They just seem to automatically have that self centred mind set. Must be a cultural thing.
Is a fine balance, but if it makes sense for the greater good of the community then it should be done. Within reason lol.
One of the good things about a MOT test is that it leaves a permanent record of your vehicle on a database that anyone can check.
This will show the pass/fail or pass with advisories, of the life of the vehicle. It also will show the mileage at each test, which is very important if you are buying a secondhand car, as it will show if the mileage has been tampered with.
The MOT status also shows up on police checks.
It doesn't seem to have been mentioned that the MOT history record is available to anyone free on line by putting in the registration number of the vehicle on the government website. This shows the dates of MOT's, mileage at that time, whether Pass or Fail and reasons for failure. Thus before you buy a vehicle you have a fair knowledge of the condition and what's happened previously.
It actually says that right at the start of the video.
It's actually mentioned at 1:58 ... Right at the start of the video...
These tests are over most of Europe, not only the UK. The "intensity" of the test, the time between tests, things like that vary from country to country, but most of us do it. And when I see some videos of vehicles on US roads, I'm goad the test exists!!
uk has the longest vehicle safety check scheme europe copied us
Americans are just very ignorant about the state of lots of things, including their cars, saw video's where the customer saws the suspension in half, and then glues it together with superglue
That is why it is safe to travel across borders in our cars. ,❤
If you were in an accident Steve and your seat was already locked in position, they had to cut you out the car it’s more problematic. As someone who has had this happen, it’s pretty scary stuff.
A Jammed Seat could also be an indicator of a faulty mounting which could easily break in the event of a collision leading to severe injuries
Steve, the next time you are driving down a road, look at the cars around you and ask yourself this question. Does the car in front of me have effective brakes or will the car to the side of me suddenly veer into me because the steering is faulty? Is that rust bucket going to break in two when that piece of wood holding it together snaps? Mandatory yearly vehicle inspections can save lives.
Great video man :)
Im in the UK. A few points that I would make/ guess:-
1) Corrosion is more to do the vehicles sub frame.
2) Sharp edges are to do with preventing injurys, if you strike someone with your vehicle.
3) I believe the adjustable seat is not only to do with driver postion, but may also be essential in a crash, if you are pushed up against the sterring wheel, with it unable to move back.
Corrosion will fail if it's within a seat belt anchorage point too, so floor pan, sills, wheel arches as well as subframes
@@davidwbuckRusty bodywork will just get an advisory.
Also re driver seat being adjustable: I’m the only person who drives my car. The tester doesn’t know me. Does he/she believe me? Tests don’t come down to trust.
Most get a pre-mot test with your own mechanic, he will fix stuff so it passes and get your certificate, its all done in one day mostly, or less if its going to pass anyway. Ite always good to know your car is up to standard. Some garages get known to do dodgy mots if you slip them extra, only really hard up people need to cheat the system, who doesnt want a car thats okay! I never heard that rubbish causes a failure, i guess if it was bad enough to cause rodents ( i did have a mouse move in to my old renault once when i was very young... it was really beat up). Cars used to get really corroded and then in an accident may not be able to protect you as well as it should, if the subframe is weak you could be a hazard on the road
And rust to inner and outer seals. I had a massive MOT failure on rust to seals. Cost £1500 to fix. 😮 and also because it wasn't fixed before the 14 day free retest period I had to pay a full coat again for the test. Another £50
Hi Steve,
about failing the MOT because of rubbish (trash) in the vehicle - there are two reasons this might be a problem: 1) the trash itself is, or could cause, a direct safety hazard (for example, interfer with the vehicle controls) and 2) it gets in the way of the tester completing any of the tests (it's not their job to clear your stuff out of their way). Philosophically, I am also of the mind that a poorly cleaned vehicle might well also be a poorly maintained vehicle. It does't have to be spotless, just clear of debris.
As to the seat adjustment: 1) correct drivers seat adjustment is necessary for safe operation of the vehicle and besides, there is no way the tester can know that you are, and will always be, the only driver.
As to echo other comments, I have also seen a lot of vehicles on the roads of America that I can't understand how they are allowed to be driven - they are clearly deathtraps for the occupents and other road users.
It actually means the headlights, rearlights and number plates and number plate lights must be clean. I'll give nothing blocking the controls, but it really means the outside of the car.
The corrosion check is mainly aimed at structural components, especially where vehicles don't have a chassis, such as sills, roof pillars, crossmembers, firewall. Basically any area where a failure would weaken the vehicles structure.
Also checked are areas areas around mounting points for the suspension, axles and seat belts.
Yes, it's about structural integrity! I'm shocked that Steve thought a bit of rust isn't as important as a mirror.
A big part of it is making sure other people are safe … as well as yourself if you are involved in an incident.
Right, Steves a great guy but american culture is all very "me me me" with little thought for other people
Just had my MOT yesterday £215 with an oil and filter change (mini service). A lot of what is checked is to keep you and other people safe. For example rust near a seatbelt anchor could mean your seatbelt fails in an accident. Sharp edges could cause severe injury to a pedestrian even in a low speed accident.
My car passed, so in terms of time I dropped my car in just after 8am and walked home, at 9:40am I got a phone call to say it was all done. So I walked back had a chat as my springs were showing signs of rust, so they told me to bring it back after winter and they'd put it on the ramp and check them again for me (for free), my car is 23 years old and has been very well looked after. I paid my bill and was back home at 10am with that job done for another year. It can take longer depending where you go, my Dad has to take my parents motorhome to a bigger place in the next village that can lift it to get under it so somebody has to go with him to drive him home and then drive him back to collect the motorhome. So that takes a little bit longer. You cannot get road tax if you don't have a valid MOT so if the police catch up with you your car would be seized, and you'd get a fine from the car tax people and have to make your car roadworthy and pay police storage costs and car tax to be able to get it back. If you are renting a property a lot of landlords will not allow cars without a valid MOT on their land for fear you will dump the vehicle.
Yes but who cares about pedestrians? Nobody in the USA it seems.
My English cousin lives in Florida and couldn't believe the state of some of the cars on the roads, when he first moved there. Literally scrap yard condition according to him .
He was also amazed when his wife's car needed new rear tyres. They took off the worn rear tyres and put them on the front of the car 😂
The Top Gear America special where they bought cars for under $1000 (IIRC) in Florida showed how bad they could get.
It was like that in Britain in the 1950s, before the MoT was introduced. USA is like a 3rd world country in many ways.
And consider the driving test requirements for a 16 year driver. It's possible to have an inexperienced 16 year old whose test was carried out in a carpark driving a scrapper on the freeway.
@@frankmitchell3594 yes no lessons either, just drive about with mum for a bit.
@@frankmitchell3594 In some US States they can drive at 15!
Having watched 'Just Rolled In' and 'Customer States' on RUclips, I am amazed that there is no similar safety checks in the US, which keeps unsafe vehicles off the road.
What I find amazing from the 'Customer States' videos is the level of some DIY car repairs from people who shouldn't be left near a screwdriver..!
funny i wanted to make same comment after seeing this video, as it seems from those videos that alot of american are driving in a deathtrap and even ingnore any common sense of safety as long its can move
@@marmite1076 By people who know "just enough" no doubt.
I drive a taxi. Our cars have to have an MOT every 6 months and a further Local Council test within 3 days of the MOT.
Couple of things that might help you - there are categories of faults (major and minor), some minor things may be fixed on the spot (dead bulb, screenwash, etc.), more major faults have to be fixed before a retest - most places offer a free retest if returned within 14 days (you do NOT have to get them repaired by the testing garage - some centres are test ONLY). Serious faults that make the car dangerous - it will not be allowed to be driven away, if not being fixed there it will need towing or a recovery truck to move it. The warning lights - you can't cheat by taking the bulb out, as they check that they ALL work when ignition is turned on! Some items will not be a 'fail' but an 'advisory' - these are things like low tread on tyres, low brake pads - stuff that will need attention soon, but not an immediate concern. The registration or 'number plates' in the UK have to meet strict rules on font, spacing, size of letters, etc. - ours are permanent, so have to be secure, we don't have 'vanity' plates, although you can have a 'personalised' registration which includes your initials, for example - these can be worth more than the vehicle they are attached to (you have to buy these seperately), and can be transferred to another vehicle if you sell or scrap the vehicle. As others have said, from watching 'Just Rolled In' or other videos - you really need a federal standard in the US..!
It's worth to say that you've got advisory as well. Your vehicle passes the mot, but there is a note saying that for example your tyre is close to legal limit, so before next mot you want to be sure that you've sorted it out.
The advisory is for when it's safe now but is comprimised to the point that it will be unsafe before the next mot
FYI
The ONLY reason you’re legally allowed to drive with an expired MOT is if you are taking to car to a testing centre to get an MOT exam done…
If your car fails the MOT you can’t renew your car insurance (they check when you renew) and if the Police stop your car and find out there’s no current MOT you can be fined and the car seized.
Distopian level 100%
You will also be prosecuted for no insurance (much worse) as it is invalid if you have no current MOT test pass.
@@Maddie_Maddswe get it... You hate safety.
Car gets seized ?? Thats crazy in Northland Ireland you just get a fine
You also cannot get your vehicle taxed ( road tax) with the DVLA, so you could be fined ( unless it’s declared as not using the public highway ‘SORN’, eg only used on farm land)
The MOT is an effective and relatively cheap way of keeping tabs on all the essential bits of your car. I put mine in for a test 2 weeks ago and was told that although it passed, I would need to change both the rear tyres/tires and brake pads within the next 12 months.
I concur with your point of it being "good value". Each time I take mine in for a service, the engineer lists future points of concern, where it may lead to a fail, and we either address them there or make a future (before MOT) appointment.
as long as you do not live in NI where a test can take up to 8 months to get forcing drivers of the road, terrible flawed system.
@@georgebarnes8163wow I book mine a week in advance, my garage has set up an online system so you just go on there and look up the free slots.
Spain here, we have ITV, state run, full rolling road, brakes, underneath, lights, emissions, everything down to water in the washers, we drive the car through the testing line while the mechanic checks it, a new car has its first one at 4 years then every two years until ten years, then every year. Depending on vehicle size it costs between 38€ to 140€. You shouldn't drive here without your ITV, technically means your insurance is invalid, plus BIG fines. Also if you fail, you go to your own mechanic get it fixed come back, but the re- test is free and only on the fail bits.
That is very similar to the MOT test apart from the testing interval. Your insurance is void with out one and you can’t get new insurance without an MOT, You can’t even lie and say you have it because insurance have access to the national MOT data base.
@@RoadkillbunnyUKyeah very similar to the UK indeed. It’s good to hear that we have a certain standard of safety requirements in other parts of Europe. I’ve driven, my own car, in France, Spain, Switzerland and Italy. It’s good to know the cars on the road with me when abroad, are similarly inspected for safety.
I never new that but we'll done it's good to see that you're doing it over there.
@@RoadkillbunnyUK Though you can drive without an MOT but only between your home and the nearest MOT testing garage and only if you have a pre arranged appointment.
I was an MOT assistant, so helped the tester perform his duties, things like steering and braking while he inspected underneath (play in the rack, condition of gaitors, calipers working etc.). There are a lot of exceptions and variables because the vehicle is only tested to the standard of it's construction and not retrospective e.g. a 1995 car does not have to have some safety features if they are introduced in law later than that, such as safety cells, warning lights. A 1992 car does not have to have a catalytic converter as that was introduced in law in 1993. Really old cars' emissions are 'smoke test' - is there visible smoke? After that, Carbon monoxide and Nitrogen dioxide are measured in ppm, with decreasing limits the later a car becomes. e.g. a 1986 car has a limit of 1200ppm, a 2005 has a limit of 200ppm, and smoke should be invisible to pass.
Cars used as taxis also have to be tested from 1 year old instead of 3 that general public use.
Corrosion inspection is not as bad as it sounds. Surface rust is generally fine. They're checking for things like holes in the chassis that are structural defects. Anything within 12" of a 'prescribed area'. Prescribed areas are seat belt mounting points, A-pillars (including door mounts), suspension and engine mounts etc, which due to the size of vehicles is effectively the whole car. This includes inside the boot which forms part of the structure of the car. If the boot is full or has too much in it to inspect, it fails because it is not inspectable. The inspector cannot remove anything from the car to inspect further e.g. hub caps (for wheels, nuts, steering and brakes), anything in the boot, carpets attached to the body. Boot carpets can be lifted to inspect the metal of the floor when it is empty.
I saw a 4-year old van have an engine blown during test. They get tested at 'fast idle' for emissions and braking - around 2000rpm. Sometimes the timing belts break and or there is an oil leak that bursts a gasket during the test, preventing the engine from running to name but 2.
40 year old cars are exempt from testing. MOT centres can repair simple things on the day such as bulbs, washer fluid level. Much bigger things like brakes can be longer. Overall, about 150 items are checked. I am surprised there is no mention of suspension in the original video.
Brilliant!
The US is a death trap. The country I live in you can actually drive a car stuck together with gaffer tape. But the paper work must confirm it is registered to you as the owner and the engine number is correct.
before the age mot exemption my local motor museum used to get an MOT on their 1902 car... essentially the only applicable test was a brake gyro test.
Corrosion can lead to failure of structural integrity of vehicle which can be dangerous to you and other vehicles. Also mounting points for transmission, engine, steering, seat belts etc...could be compromised so its extremely important 👍
Yep. Most modern cars include the body as part of the overall structure, if they're damaged, the whole vehicle suffers.
Mini's the older types were monocoque where the chassis and body were integrated so corrosion/rust could be a serious problem structurally.
one of my favourite youtube video types to watch are channels like "just rolled in" or " mechanical mayhem" they show the condition on most american cars when they get into a garage, and most times i'm shocked by the customer refusing to get work done and just driving out with half the car hanging off lol
hahah, sounds pretty entertaining! I've had lots of suggestions for that channel--I'll have to give it a watch
This is why I find it incredulous that the US doesn't have annual safety inspections. I know a few states employ an annual emissions test but that's really a bare minimum and doesn't cover a lot of safety issues. There must be so many dangerous vehicles on the road in America.
There is. Dangerous drivers too.
Yes, Britain is not unusual in having these inspections, USA is unusual in not having them! Germany has much stricter vehicle inspections than Britain.
Virginia has a state inspection much along the lines of the MOT test
@@Phiyedough Yeah but Germany's are every two years aren't they? So you could say they need to be a bit more stringent due to the time in between checks?
When the government pays for your health care, they seem to care for your health more.
Steve, if your wife had to take you to the er, and the seat couldnt move, unless she is exactly the same height and leg length as you, it would be difficult for her to drive the car and reach the wheel, brake pedal etc...
Or if you sell the car on. Is the buyer the same size?
Or if your seat is stuck in one position - why? It is clearly defective in some way and potentially unsafe.
The main reason is if you need cutting out the fire brigade will flatten the seat to get the spine board in to lift you out.
Or move back to give a bigger space to work in round the legs if front is smashed in bad
there are cameras everywhere on the roads called ANPR (automatic numberplate recognition) it scans licence plates and checks if the car has valid insurance,MOT and road tax) if you haven't your car could be towed away and you'll receive a court summons where you will get penalty points on your licence and a big fine, as well as paying for your car to be released from the impound lot but only when you have rectified the original reason for it being towed away
Seriously! I can't believe the USA don't have something like a MOT Test.
Ukraine does have it either.
I'm really surprised that you don't have a similar system in the US.
Particularly as it’s a bit of a money maker for garages, they don’t make much money on the actual MOT test but on the corrective repairs and the annual services they are asked to undertake; hence why there’s discounted and free retest MOTs are available.
you can drive the car away as long as it has MOT remaining, you can submit your car for MOT 1 month before expiry
Having been to different parts of the USA for holidays, I can say that alot of the vehicles you see on the roads would definitely be scrap cars here
I think the seat adjustment is a similar reason that you have to be able to open the doors from the outside - it's so that emergency services can easily remove you from the car in the case of a crash.
Usually for minor things, the mechanics will just fix them because they don't want to go through the trouble of re-testing you. I once had a bulb that had gone in my headlight and the mechanic told me after the MOT that he'd just switched out the bulb for a new one while he was testing.
No, the seat adjustment is because you are legally required to sit in the correct position, so that you can see everything and reach all of the controls comfortably. Whilst it is possible that only one person drives the car and the position is correct for them, the regulations state it has to be adjustable in case anything changes or if anyone else has to drive the vehicle.
Just think of a house, after a period of time, wear and tear takes place and repairs will be necessary. A car is the same, so we in the UK feel secure having this yearly test to minimise putting our lives at risk and others too. It’s mandatory but I am so glad we have this in place. Our Government got this right. If it fails, then you are told what to fix, so the garage will fix it…pay for it of course !
Actually, someone trying to SELL their car, will often put it through the MOT process so they can use it as an ADDED incentive "Comes with full years MOT... BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!" - But ensuring the seat CAN be fully adjusted and ALL the seats are fitted securely (I.E. will NOT move in a collision etc.) - helps the prospective buyer feel confident in their purchase.
@@AzzedineBouleghlimatI share my car with my son he's 6ft 2 I'm 5ft when I get in it after him I'm nearly on the back seat lol
You can test up to 1 month before and you are allowed to leave if your car fails you can take it to another garage to get it fixed.
Hi Steve. A brand new car does not require an MOT test until it is 3 years old, unless it is used as a taxi. Then it must be tested each year from new. The MOT test is basically a safety test Steve. Cars older than 3 years, then require the test each year..... the test is carried out by appointed certified testers, who normally work as mechanics any other time. If your car fails the MOT test, you have to get the necessary repairs or adjustments done prior to the car being used on the roads. The doors and seats have to operate correctly, and be properly fixed, and not loose. Any serious heavy corrosion in or around suspension mountings would cause a failure. As would shock absorbers not operating correctly..... Any excessive play in the steering feel or action, would also result in a failure. Your registration plates must also be clean, with your windscreen washers and wipers being fully functional. All lighting equipment must be fully functional.....And yes Steve, if your windscreen was exceptionally dirty, and the tester's line of sight was obscured or impeded, it would be a fail. A crack or chip in the windscreen inside a pre-designated area on the screen, would also be a fail. A serious oil or fuel leak would mean a fail, as would exhaust emissions in excess of a designated amount.....
One trick that someone used to get around his windscreen having a chip in it (that would have failed the test) was to remove the windscreen as the test says nothing about having to have one. No windscreen=no chip=no fail. Genius!
@@EscapeMCP And would he refit the original chipped screen back in, rendering his car unfit for the road (because it was not presented for test with the illegal screen) or would he put a new screen in? Personally, I'd just get a new screen rather than eat bluebottles and bees while I drove along.... A pedantic MOT tester might argue the car is not to standard factory specification, so may refuse to test it if the screen was missing. Also, some cars now rely on the windscreen to bodyshell bond for structural integrity of the bodyshell......but perhaps Mr No Screen likes to live on the edge?
@@EscapeMCP The MOT test only certifies the car for THE DAY of the test, if you refitted a chipped screen, you COULD be stopped and the car taken off the road on the next day.
@@terryhayward7905 Those were my thoughts too...... Passing the MOT test means your vehicle met the test criteria *on the day of the test* although the issued certificate is normally valid for a year from the date of the test. Of course things can break, fail or become unsafe before the next MOT test is due, and you can be stopped by the police if necessary, who can order the vehicle to be taken off the road until the necessary repairs are carried out....
Car registration work differently too, we don't have to pay annually to register and the plate is linked to the vehicle not the owner so it's easier to find out the car's history
Technically the plate is linked to the person too. A car will be registered to a person or company, and police can run a search on the plate to discover who the registered keeper (owner) is and the names of anyone insured to drive it. I've done this numerous times (no prizes for guessing my job).
@@thefiestaguy8831 well yes, I mean that’s a given surely that that would have to exist. But it’s different to how it works in the US where plates are much more variable
@@thefiestaguy8831 The "registered keeper" and the "owner" can be 2 seperate people/entities. The registered keeper is not neccessarily the legal owner of the vehicle.
@@bob521i It is for the purposes of the road traffic act. The terms "Registered keeper" and "Registered owner" are used interchangeably. Yes, someone could be the registered keeper of a car but not own it in the sense of that they didn't buy it, but they are responsible for taxing it and insuring the vehicle.
registered keeper is not responsible for insuring the vehicle, that falls down to the driver.@@thefiestaguy8831
I've been enjoying your transport 'journey'. It's been fascinating to find out what America doesn't have compared to us in the UK. For things like an MOT, it's pretty shocking you don't have this. We just don't have 'beat up' cars here cos they wouldn't pass the MOT.
A lot of cars in the UK are compact and only have three doors you have to pull a lever on the seat to fold it forward so back seat passengers can get out... The MOT test has to make sure this works and the seat slides on its rails.
The MOT can also note 'advisories', which tell you about things that are not currently a fail, but may be cause for concern in the near future, such as brake pads or tyre tread just above the wear limit.
I fully trust my garage with that, they've always been serious, and they understand me wanting to know absolutely everything about the car's health inside out. Prevention is better than being stuck for repairs.
No advisories in NI, the vehicle either passes a test or it does not. The test in GB is easy and usually carried out at a mates garage, not so in NI where the test is carried out by the government and it can take up to 8 months to get a test date. Most GB vehicles with a valid MOT test would fail the much stricter NI MOT test.
My brief sting in Michigan was a mind blower. We get so much better cars for the money in 2nd hand sales due to the minimum standard set by the mot. Seeing what I could buy for $1000.00 in 2008 was traumatising. We settled on a car with no floor just to get to work which as a brit was an apauling reality check
How can you get insurance for your car if its not road worthy.
@@mikepxg6406 insurers provide the policy on the basis the vehicle certificate is maintained. They usually withdraw cover if the vehicle is without mot or VEL (tags in US equivalence) in an incident or claim
When you say no floor do you mean no carpet or you could see the road below?
@@seasuper3402 floorpan had rusted away completely..it was a good job it was a bench seat model as the sils were what was left
@@mikepxg6406 The insurance agents usually don't inspect the vehicle.
Think this was one I recommended, as I'm sure others did. I have seen cars in unbelievable states on the road in the US, it's dangerous for everyone else on the road - probably one reason why there are more road deaths per capita in the US sadly, or more broadly because the country is now so dependent on cars everything is geared towards getting people on the road quickly, few minimum maintenance requirements on cars allowing them to be sold cheaper second hand and generally very basic driving tests. Safety seems to be less of a priority.
Crap all over the roads that have fallen off cars. Blown tyres too😂
@@101steel4 I’ve never seen so many shredded tyres at the side of the road
it always amazes me that there is no annual MOT test in America and the state of some of the vehicles I have seen in mechanic shops on videos is quite frankly so dangerous its scary.
depends on the state. some have a inspection.
Crazy isn’t it
Body corrosion. Don't forget most modern (ie not US trucks) cars are monocoque designs so something like a rusty sill changes how a car will behave in a crash. The sharp edges is so in an accident pedestrians, cyclists and horses aren't injured exessively.
Emissions. They test the gases coming out of the exhaust at a specific temperature and revs. This is different for different cars and fuels. Newer cars were designed to a higher standard and have to pass a stricter test. The very oldest cars are only tested for excess visible smoke.
Age. Over a certain age cars don't have to be tested at all. This is because it would be silly testing a 1907 Steam powered car doing 50 miles a year to a standard it was never designed to meet.
A few weeks ago it took me three goes to pass (retests within 2 weeks are legally allowed to be free) and it only failed on loose nuts allowing excessive play on a joint. The most annoying thing to fail on is a damaged or corroded rubber gaiter because you're going to have to get really dirty (or pay something to get really dirty) to change it and sometimes you have to change a whole part but as these are normally protecting steering and suspension parts it's better safe than sorrry.
I used to work in a garage assisting with MOTs amongst other things. The rust thing is structural integrity. If the tester sees rust on the chassis they have a hammer to bang it to see if it is still solid or just surface rust. If it goes through it fails the test. The most common places are the sills of the car or wheel arches.
They cut out the rusty bit and fabricate a metal plate to go over the hole and weld it in place, then treat it with a protective coating called Schutz
In New Zealand we have a similar inspection, called a Warrant of Fitness (WoF). Not only do we have to have the vehicles tested annually, if the police see at anytime it doesn’t meet WoF requirements, say tyres with insufficient tread depth, they will give you a ticket and may even forbid you from driving it until the tyres are replaced.
Same in the UK. MOT cert only states your vehicle reached the requirements on the day of inspection. Any faults occurring after that cause the car to be unsafe or illegal then you are open to prosecution.
In NZ, vehicles registered before 2000 have to be inspected every 6 months. With registration and Warrant of fitness I can drive my 1931 Riley 9 Tourer at any time on public roads. The ability to use a car of this age is not available in all countries, such as Australia. Same with motorbikes.
NCT here in Ireland. Though you will be done if you don't have tax and insurance some areas will ignore a missing NCT as long as the car doesn't appear to be dangerous - other places go the other way as well - but the downside to that is you only dare drive in the local town/area under that particular police station. They are more worried about other things than spending time on cars without the NCT/MOT/WOF which means lots of paperwork etc for them, but tax and insurance are definitely different. Missing them and you might lose your vehicle. It's usually rural areas where this applies as well, often in areas where there isn't a local test centre you can easily get to, you won't find it in cities. Works both ways and if you are in an accident then obviously you won't be able to claim on your insurance so it's a risk you take.
I remember when mum would take the cars for their WOF at the local centre, they were renown for failing most vehicles first time around, usually claiming headlights were either too high or too low. All you did was literally circle round and go down another lane, pay your fee (the reason you were failed in the first place) again and you'd be passed the second time. They were a standing joke, hope it's improved since then (late 1970s/early 1980s), must remember to ask my brother.
In the UK, sometimes the authorities will set up random test areas on roads and drivers will be flagged down for an inspection. Commercial vehicles can be stopped at any time and made to drive to a test centre for an inspection and to check the drivers hours.
If you don’t have a valid MOT certificate you can’t get car insurance. You are not allowed to drive the vehicle without insurance- you risk confiscation of the vehicle, loss of your license or a fine.
trash in a vehicle is classed as a "fire hazard" hence the failure
If you don’t you’re MOT up to date.
It’s flagged on the police national computer.
The next time you drive past a police that has automatic number plate recognition.
The police will pull you over.
Give you a ticket saying you have 1 month to get your MOT.
If you fail to get your MOT After this.
The police will simply declare your vehicle to be unsafe and tow your car away.
You also need a valid MOT to enquire valid insurance and valid road tax.
In Ireland we have a NCT test yearly. National car test. As of September 2023 it costs €55. It takes an hour. Tyres, lights, suspension, emissions, brakes etc etc etc. all aspects of safety. You won’t see a vehicle in Irish republic that’s damaged either. All safety related. I can’t believe the USA or your state has not got this. My cousin lives on the mainland in Germany. His test is even more stringent and costs over €100.
I recently moved back to the UK after living in the US for a LONG time. We had annual vehicle inspections in Massachusetts and Arizona required emissions (only) - and cars 3+ years. I am totally on board with the MOT, and as long as you have it done BEFORE your current MOT certificate expires, you can drive out of the shop if you fail (he did mention that but not sure you heard). What you DO want to look for is the UK driving test.... OMG - I've been driving for (gulp) 50 years... I've driven across the US 8 times and felt pretty confident until I realised I'd have to take a written AND practical test here - within 1 year (you can only drive on a US license for 1 year, then it's considered invalid). See if you can find a video about it if you haven't already - it was HARROWING! Apparently very few people pass (both) on the first try (and every testing centre is different - so you need to know which is the 'good' and 'bad' one!). I think you'll find it interesting. BTW - Indiana drivers? Some of the craziest drivers I've seen!!!!!! 🤣😂🤣
You might have been able to drive out with a failed mot if you still had a valid one before, but I'm pretty sure that if you fail now then that takes priority over your previous test, so you cant. Or at least shouldn't
@@eepykami Ooh - good to know! I'll def check next year!
@@eepykami this. Back when I started driving in the 90’s we could drive a failed MOT car home the 2miles as our local garage knew our dad did all the work he could on our cars and the mechanics only did things dad couldn’t do. I remember the days of trailing round scrap yards finding the same car to see if we could get parts off written off cars that weren’t damaged in that area 😂
But it’s been several years since they don’t allow you to drive a failed MOT car home and dad now says modern cars are much harder to fix yourself unless you have the computers etc to plug in.
Once upon a time dad could do nearly every part of what a car needed for repairs
Corrosion can be a safety issue because, well, you don't want key functional parts of the car to fall apart while driving! Which can happen... You also want the structure as a whole to hold together, including in an accident.
Maybe you fly through the windscreen when break hard because your seat was anchored to rust rather than steel. :)
Also the corrosion can cause significant injury to a pedestrian depending on the location on the vehicle
Yes i think the rules on this are reasonable, some rust areas are not a fail but many cars are dipped so corrosion is a factor on cars over 15 years I think.
My first ever car died from corrosion in the end. 24 years it lasted.
@@UtterlyUseless
I remember seeing an Australian 'police' programme were a person was pulled over for driving a car which had no insurance or MOT etc. and on the outside some 'trim' was loose (similar to a knights 'lance') and the police officer said (paraphrasing) "... and imagine if you swerved into a pedestrian, you would skewer them like a kebab...!". I have never forgotten the image and why you need to check for 'sharp edges' etc.
Hey Steve, I don't drive as I'm medically not allowed to have a license - but I'm really glad that the MOT is there keeping me safe from rust buckets. It's one of the reasons our road deaths are so low (along with a very strict driving test)!
Definitely the best idea ever. It makes you focus on the road worthiness of your car, which means it's not only safe for you on the road, but for other drivers, your passengers and even pedestrians. Driving tests should be treated the same way, maybe with a re-test every five years.
If you drive the vehicle without a valid MOT it also invalidates your insurance so you wouldn’t be insured either (unless you’re driving it to a test centre)
Not forgetting that you need a current MOT to pay the annual road tax!
This is false. It may invalidate your own at-fault cover (if expressly written in the policy) but third party cover is a legal requirement and your insurance company can't wriggle out of paying £1,000,000's after you wiped out a whole family when driving back from a failed test.
What normally happens is the lack of an MOT will lower the value of the vehicle so the payout for a write off is less.
. @drewdastardly5438 Sorry, but breaking a condition of your policy makes it voidable at the insurers discretion and therefore they can wriggle out of a claim technically leaving the driver liable. The fact is that the claim would probably be met by the MIB (Motor Insurance Bureau set up specifically to pay out in the event of uninsured drivers). My knowledge of this comes from 40 years of working in the insurance industry.
@@keithparker5125 Yeah, as far as I knew they'll always pay out the third party but can refuse to pay you out if you're not complying with the insurance agreement (which obviously includes keeping your vehicle roadworthy). So for example if you had an obviously bald tyre and had an accident, and the police (if they're called) determined also that your braking was impaired because of it, they could refuse to pay you out.
Lack of MOT does not invalidate the insurance, that myth was outed years ago.
I live in a rural area and use the same garage (have done for years). There are no pavements so when I take my car to the garage they take me home (a couple of miles) and will bring my car back to me. Wonderful people.
The results of previous MOT tests are available online, so potential buyers can check the 'MOT history' of the vehicle they are thinking of buying , seeing any failures and importantly the mileage at each MOT test is there, so you can check if vehicle has had the mileage altered. The MOT test is very comprehensive, basically checks everything on the vehicle.
Keeping the car tidy prior to the test is a must since there will be things they have to inspect in the cabin. If there's loads of clutter they won't be able to do this properly, so it's a simple thing to do before you take the car in
Mines never tidy
And the structural integrity of the boot, which is under the carpet. You can't life the carpet with loads of crap on it.
Also would you really want to put your hands or face near a car full of crap. I used to work as a tyre fitter if we had a car full of crap we refused to touch it
In my early driving days when I owned 15+ year old vehicles it was common to need welding repairs for each mot for structural issues like the sills, door frames, subframes etc
I had an old car that was spot welded. Seen a mechanic get a tool and literally damage the brand new welding saying it's got a hole. Yea MOT fail. Like I saw u scraping at it. Obviously now there's a hole.🤬😂
the reason why having rusty body panels even if it's not the chassis is something you should worry about @ReactingToMyRoots is that they should protect you in a crash and if they are corroded then they won't protect you, also adjusting seat is if you were to sell your car, the new buyer relies on a valid MOT to tell them that the car they want to buy is safe to drive.
Most people get it done a few weeks before it runs out. Because if it fails you have 7 days to get it fixed and retested. You don't have to use the same company to do it.
Don't you have 10 working days to get it retested? So 14 days really with weekends. I know mine took longer to get sorted this year as I needed a new rear subframe which took a while to arrive and didn't have to get a full new test done, the MOT place just fitted it for me and gave me the pass
It can depend when it fails and when the m.o.t. runs out. Also if it's going to be longer you have to inform the DVLA to take it of the road.
In the 60's and 70's there were a lot of rustbuckets on the roads in the UK and they were so dangerous when I think about it now. I even had a few of them. I am glad the MOT is a lot stricter now and I'm surprised the US doesn't adopt this. It would make your roads safer and imagine the boost it would give your car industry.
Those are now exempt. Classics now.
@@vickywilliams8320 I still had to take my classic car for an MOT, they just checked fewer things but bodywork, brakes, steering etc all had to meet the standards required. It was more seatbelts and headrests that were excempt.
@@musicandbooklover-p2o If its over 40 years old then you don't have to take it for an MOT
I visited Canada many years ago. My friend and I couldn’t believe the state of some of the cats. That was a long time ago and I expect their testing is more stringent now.
The seat check is making sure their retaining bolts wont rip out of a rusted floor pan. The exhaust test is for emissions, and just running rich will get you a fail, so the advice to warm up the engine well before testing is good. I had a car a few years back that would be borderline every year for emissions, so I would drive it around for an hour and get it up to temp before taking it in.
The MOT (Ministry of Transport) test is an annual safety check on the vehicle, which includes things like the brakes, steering, exhaust emissions, airbags and suspension components. I've just had my car MOT'd, and thankfully it passed, with a couple of advisories (advice on parts of the car to keep an eye on). Without an MOT you can't drive the car unless you are driving to an MOT test, or taking it for MOT repairs.
You’re pronouncing it correctly, saying the letters individually. Crazy to me that a country like USA wouldn’t have something like this.
I always pay for an MOT pre service check - often referred to as a full service, this obviously costs more but ensures a pass.
As an mot tester tester this is what i do every single day!
Welcome to my world 😂
When we lived in Virginia in the late '90s, our car had to have an annual inspection which included checking things like were the brakes still good. It made sense to me.
I am amazed you don’t have a yearly test on your cars, some must be very dangerous ❤️❤️❤️
You should look at some of the "Just drove in" style RUclipsrs. Scary.
We don't have an annual test here in Oz, but we should.
It actually depends on the state. Some do.
@Reacting To My Roots, to clarify about the MOT where you wanted to know about engine damage, part of the emissions test requires the test to run the engine at fast idle(high revs) to check the Lambda is functioning correctly, the lambda sensor is situated on the catalytic converter, hope that clarifies things for you.
Most people get a full service and MOT at the same time. The garage will do a pre MOT check and correct any minor problems like bulbs etc.
Once your car passes it's MOT the garage will also provide a list of any advisories, for instance your tyres may still be legal but close to the limit.
Your car won't be fail on minor body corrosion, it will fail for excessive corrosion.
The point I was going to make. Most people get their annual service and MOT done together so it's really no extra effort. I think the system is pretty good overall (I'm from the UK).
Slightly different in Northern Ireland, we have test centres for MOT.
Basically it'll fail on the body if it's got, for example, sharp bits sticking out or a damaged/crushed panel (so say the front wing has been damaged and the front corner of it is sticking out) that could injure a member of the public. Excessive corrosion (or holes) usually only matters on the sills or anywhere that can compromise structural integrity, including within 30cm of suspension mounting points and seat/seatbelt mounting points. Also includes bolted on stuff such as subframes and wishbones.
Most places offer a Service and MOT as a package so you get oil, filters etc changed at the same time
The corrosion inspection is focused on structural elements, but does also include holes in panels that may be a hazard to pedestrians.
You are incorrect. Sharp edges are a fail.
@@marksaunderson3042
From .gov website - A fail is issued based on 'A relatively small amount of corrosion in an important part of the vehicle structure, where it compromises its load bearing capacity, can make a vehicle unsafe. On the other hand, excessive corrosion on non-structural sections may have little or no effect on the vehicles safety' So corrosion on (or within 30cm) of brakes, steering, suspension, side sills, chassis, cross members, pillars etc will result in a fail. Sharp edges are also a fail as they could potentially cause injury to pedestrians. So you are both right!
There have been deaths caused by drinks bottles and cans getting stuck behind the break peddle - stopping the driver from being able to break - do a clean cabin floor is VERY important.
Yeah I remember a few years ago taking my dog out somewhere for a walk and she had dropped her tennis ball which rolled under the clutch pedal, luckily noticed it as if it had rolled under the brake pedal it could've been a bit dodgy!
@@sierraboney1394 I actually had it happen once where I needed to brake (reasonably heavily, but not an "emergency" slam the brakes on stop), and an item had rolled under the brake. I ended up pushing down even harder than I'd normally have done and the force I applied crushed the item behind the pedal, I think it was an empty bottle of water so it gave way, it did require a lot more force than it would have otherwise done and isn't the nicest surprise when you suddenly need to break heavily!
Brake not break
If your car has not passed the MOT test then it is not allowed on the public highway. Also you will not be able to obtain Road Tax or Insurance, both of which are legal requirements in the UK.
Australia has this too - called A Roadworthy Certification, a vehicle's registration is not valid without a clear road worthiness, and must not be driven without one.
After a certain age, a clear inspection report will be required when renewing registration each year.
Police and Department of Transport Officers have the authority to conduct random field checks of vehicles, and issue a Defect Notice, requiring repairs within a set time period and prohibits use of the vehicle until repairs are completed.
You also have P plates that restricts new drivers to certain things I believe?
@@steveturnbull9542 yes
Standard Red P Plates designate a Provisional Licence holder - speed limited to ~80Km/Hr, have token demerit points available, have additional restrictions around device use by them AND passengers, and there is zero tolerance for any positive substance test result.
In states that use them, Green Ps lift a lot of the Red Ps restrictions, often after the driver passes another test.
And whilst normally a 3yr affair, if you get your Ps later in life, then you can shave a year or two off graduation to a full licence.
@@Flirkann A provisional licence holder here has ''L'' plates on the car - mandatory - and for the first year after you pass your test you must have ''N'' (novice) plates on your car. And there are restrictions under both as well such as drink, drugs etc. With L plates you MUST have a licenced passenger - full licence as well - with you when you are driving (although allegedly they don't have to be sober or conscious).
@@musicandbooklover-p2o that's not a license - Ls are a Permit
@@Flirkann Here in Ireland you apply for your provisional licence and sit the basic theory exam. If you pass you get your provisional but one of the conditions is that the car MUST display ''L'' plates front and rear - and being caught without them by the police will result in points on your licence as well - which remain until you have actually passed your final test for the full licence. You can only hold the provisional for a set time then you need to renew, and you can only renew about three times (I think it is) and then you have to wait a few years before beginning all over again. There is also a set time before you must sit your test and in that time you need to have taken x number of driving lessons. Once you have your full licence you can proudly remove the ''L'' plates and put up ''N'' plates instead - N = Novice - which tells other drivers that you are new to the road and to allow you some slack. You have those up for a year and then you can remove them as well.
Saying that though, I can also remember far enough back to when you didn't need a licence to drive here (seriously) and when they first came in people who could prove they had been driving for x number of years without major accidents or a ton of tickets to their name could simply go in to the police and would be given a full licence. My cousin had been driving for years at this stage but she was one of only a few who insisted on taking the new test and getting her licence honestly - her husband had just kept his UK licence and simply swopped it over - but there was an uproar when the tests came in. This was about 1994, I would go driving with my cousin because I had my full UK licence and she only had her new learner permit so needed someone with her. She also passed her test first time when she sat. When I think about it that was really only very recently, certainly since we moved here to live. And now the test is really strict, no different really to the UK test.
But I also remember my brother and a neighbour getting their licences in NZ. My brother got into the car, did his checks, started the engine and then did the mirror checks prior to moving off after which the instructor told him he could turn off the engine. He thought he'd failed but in fact he'd passed. Didn't even leave the carpark. My neighbour did leave the carpark but drove the wrong way down a one way street, stalled while pulling out to cross two lanes of traffic and still passed her test as well - in fairness she was a good driver but there was no way the instructor knew that from the little she did. In fact she was so shocked she passed she complained about the test, in her mind she should have failed the instant she went down the one way street the wrong way, but nothing ever came of her complaint. I believe the tests did become stricter a while later though, but I refused to drive on the roads in NZ, waited until we moved to the UK before I learned to drive and then passed first time.
Some of the common reasons for failure are lamps with failed bulbs, tyres with damage, or tread below legal limit, brakes (inefficient, out of balance etc.) and suspension (worn bushings or leaking dampers).
My last MOT came back as a Pass, but with a "Monitor and repair if necessary", because one of the Track Rod Ends (I believe you guys call them tie rod ends) had "slight play".
I had them both replaced the same day.
before they started saying all that "monitor and repair if necessary" fluff, they used to just be called advisories. so it passed with 1 advisory.
my 18yo honda civic failed its last MOT cost to get it through retest £0.75. i had to replace 1 repeater, bulb and for the numberplate lights.
now there was an ABS warning light but i solved that by removing the bulb.
any Brit remembers Hammonds grandad's car with the 18 page failure list?
@@philiprice7875 My ABS warning light has been covered by black tape for the last 8 years.
I gave the Frontera away to a relo when i got a new car 4 years ago.
I'm in NSW... never had a problem receiving my annual pink slip. 😁
On mainland Uk inspection at a garage but in Northern Ireland its checked in government test centres not a garage.
Yes and your MOT results are on the government website so anyone from the police to prospective buyers can see what the repair and MOT history of the vehicle is. This is very useful if you're going to buy a used car. I used to live in Ireland where they have a similar system and you can only take your car to a government centre to be tested and the car has to be empty and freshly cleaned on the outside and underneath the car before they'll look at it. They do not do repairs of any sort at these centres, just testing. No MOT cert no insurance. The insurance is on a database too so police can tell instantly if a driver has no insurance, how many penalty points they've got on their licence etc.
In the Netherlands we have APK (Algemene Periodieke Keuring) which means a periodical check, which is every year.
In Germany they have TÜV (Technischer Überwachungs Verein), this one is much strickter then the Dutch one, but is good for two years.
And I am glad we do have those, I have seen enough American dashcams to know that our country is a whole lot safer then yours (sorry😊) trafficwise.
P.S. You pronounce Mot as M-O-T, I am not English, but I did know that 😉
Yeah in the UK it’s definitely M O T.
Mot (pronounced as a singular word) is something very different and a bit seedy/naughty haha 😂. Basically it’s a slang term for giving a woman oral pleasure.
I had an MOT failure due to rear seatbelt not working. Being in NI it was at an offical test centre, but the inspector said to me, if you can get it working in the next 15mins I will pass it. So I pulled into the car park and raised and lowered the rear seat a few times and got it working. Saving me a re-test.
The statement of you cant drive a failed car away from the test centre is incorrect. Without MOT you are permitted to drive to and from a test centre.
If the fault is serious the vehicle can be impounded at the test centre in NI
Decades back, Britain had shockingly rusted out vehicles on its roads. Bottoms of doors rusted through. Many will remember sills needing replacement, hopefully with strong welds. You can't weld onto rust!
My dad once had a Austin Princess (the leading standard of safe vehicles) he went round a corner and my door in the back came open and that's before rear seat belts were a thing
Hang on............. what makes you specify BRITAIN..... every country which had rain had rusty cars!!,
I usually combine a service with the mot because then the garage should have serviced it correctly before doing the test. I think that improves your odds of passing.
As a motorist, I prefer the system on the UK as most garages where you get your car serviced can also do your MOT. That way, your MOT can be combined with your service, and the mechanic has an interest in fixing anything he finds before the test takes place.
In the Republic of Ireland, their system is different. Your car can only be tested at a government NCT (National Car Test) station. In Ireland, the NCT ( Irish equivalent of the British MOT ) is only required every two years on cars from 4 to 10 years old, then annually after that. However, NCT stations don't fix anything, as testing is their only purpose.
The NCT only began in the year 2000.
In Northern Ireland, the MOT is the British system, although not necessary until after the car is 4 years old.
I know I’m late and I don’t know if anyone has said it yet, but for the seats not being able to be moved, sometimes emergency services will push the seats back so it’s easier to lean in or to manoeuvre someone out of the vehicle without hurting the patient more. This probably isn’t the reason they do the checks but I still think it’s important 🤷♀️
There is not actually a Ministry of Transport anymore, but they kept the name MOT for the certificate as people kept calling it that!
There is still a ministry of transport, it's just that it's now called the Department for Transport.
When it was no longer the Ministry of Transport (VOSA, now DVSA), the MOT became the "Motor Ordinance Test", you know, to test that a _motor_ (vehicle) is in good _ordinance_ .
@@jerry2357 Ok, I should have said that the government agency called the Ministry of Transport no longer exists, but that a differently named successor agency exists. But yes, the initials MOT were eventually restored to the official name of the test because everybody kept calling it the MOT!
MOT is said M O T , three separate letters. From memory it dates from the early 1960's when it was introduced due to concerns about the state of some of the older vehicles on the road. It applies to all motor vehicles, motorcycles, cars, vans and lorries (trucks) It covers all aspects of the vehicles condition, including exhaust emissions, and is an annual test for private vehicles over 3 years old. The regulations are stricter and I think more frequent for cars used as taxis and for public transport vehicles (buses) It has played a large role in keeping unsafe vehicles off the road.
With the emissions test, they rev the engine hard. This can be a problem for diesel engines that are only ever run at low speed, because you can get a build-up of soot and muck, which can then cause damage if you suddenly blast the engine. If you drive a diesel and most of your driving is around town, it's a good idea to make sure you give it a good run at speed every now and then so that the engine cleans itself out rather than allowing to much gunk to build up.
Yes, most garages that carry out MOT tests will also do servicing and repairs. A lot of faults can be fixed straight away, and if they do that themselves then you don't have to pay for a re-test. Some people prefer to go to a garage that _doesn't_ do repairs but just carries out the test, because they think the garage is less likely to fail the test for spurious reasons if they can't charge you extra for fixing them, and while I'm sure there are _some_ garages that do that I do think it is far less widespread that it may have been in the past (but perhaps the ones offering a discount on the test fee are ones to watch out for here!).
You _can_ drive your car away if it has failed the test as long as (a) it is still within the date of the previous test pass, _and_ (2) it hasn't failed on anything classed as immediately dangerous.
I've never had a car fail because it was dirty (and I really don't keep my car clean!), it would have to be full of junk for that to happen!
The "is it clean" issue is as you suggested a matter of safety, windows not being clean and easy to seen through and significant debris in the footwell that may disrupt the controls of the car could also be a fail. Also to a point you questioned earlier in the video cars older than 40 years are exempt and the corrosion is about the structure of the vehicle primarily.
Also, the MOT tester doesn’t want to waste time clearing a load of stuff out of the way to check bits.
A bit of surface rust is not usually a problem. It's more about when things are structurally unsound - getting rotten, crumbling bodywork, holes etc. And the messy car stuff is about when it's so bad they can't carry out a test because you have so much crap everywhere.
The surface rust is also in part because they need to consider what if you hit someone. A rusted panel will cause worse wounds than an intact panel. It is also generally a good indicator for the status of the frame itself.
As for mess in the vehicle, your right, its mostly for access reasons. A messy passenger footwell for example makes accessing the wiring (usually fuses) harder, a messy boot has the same issue and some vehicles keep their battery in the boot (also there is sometimes, not always an access panel for the fuel system underneath the spare wheel well).
Also if there's trash in the front seat footwells, something could get under the pedals and jam them. And hard objects become projectiles in a collision. You're not going to fail your MOT because of a stray sweet wrapper, but if there are cans and bottles and things rolling around, that's an actual safety hazard as well as an access problem.
In Italy we have the "revisione" (review/inspection). For a new car is after 4 years, then every 2 years. We check: braking system, visibility, steering effectiveness, electrical system, tires and suspension, chassis integrity, license plate and chassis, exhaust emissions and noise pollution and other things such as seat belts, airbags, horn... It cost 46€ at the Motorizzazione Civile (State vehicle registration), €79 at authorized private car workshop
In Jamaica it's every 2 years and it's called fitness test with similar checks as the UK 😊
You don't need to panic about a failure, generally most things get fixed there and then. Also, the re-test if from the same garage is free. Also, you don't have to be without your car all day. I generally get a set time to take it to them, then I just wait there. Most places will prioritise cars that have people waiting over people who will pick up later. This doesn't effect anything as they generally only take the number of cars that they can get done in that day.
Retest is only within 14 days. However they can only retest the things that have failed. After that it’s a full retest and costs.
The re-rest in't free any more!
@@robinfoster7597 Alwas has been for me. Maybe garages just keep doing that.
In Ireland we have similar test. Its called an NCT and they are carried out in NCT centres so they are not controlled by private garages. If there is something small that can be done on the day you can go back to the centre on the same day without an extra charge. For something more time consuming you get 7 days to come back but charge additional fee. If you get stopped by the Gardai after that time you will be fined for not having a current cert disc.
That sounds similar to the Northern Ireland setup, though we do call it MOT.
We've done away with the paper discs. It's all digital, they just need vehicle registration.
I'm an mot tester in the UK for BMW, this video you watched does give you a basic understanding but it does leave a lot of questions unanswered so if you have any questions I'm happy to answer them for you
As someone that knows very little about cars , I'm glad we have our M.O.T annually I would not know if somethings about to go on my car not a clue , cars should be road worthy for me and others . 😊