The History of the MOT

Posted by on Jun 17, 2018 in News

The History of the MOT

In modern day Britain, the Ministry of Transport Test is a part of normal life for car owners across the country. When you book your car in for it’s mandatory MOT, you are likely to hardly think about why it is that our vehicles must undergo this test. In this blog, we are going to take you back in time and look at the history of the MOT.

It all started back in 1960, when the test was first introduced under the direction of the Minister of Transport at the time, Ernest Marples. The MOT started out as a basic test including brakes, lights and steering checks. It had to be carried out after a vehicle was ten years old and every year after that. In the period after this, certain aspects of the test changed, including the age that vehicles became due for testing being brought down to 3 years in 1967.

In 2012 the MOT test underwent huge changes, with many items not previously included in the test becoming standard. As well as this, a ‘receipt style’ plain paper certificate was introduced. This serves as proof that a pass entry has been recorded on the DVSA database.

The most recent changes to the MOT, have been in place from 20th May 2018. These recent amendments have changed the way the test works in England, Scotland and Wales, to comply with EU Directive 2014/45. The changes were mainly regarding the way the test is carried out and reported.

Over the years, more and more checks have been added to the MOT test. The long list of additions to the MOT, includes tyre, emission and battery checks. While the MOT gets more complex and in depth throughout time, the safety of our cars is increasing all the time!

Here at Off Rhodes Garage, we are able to offer MOT testing for class 4 and 7 vehicles. With our dedicated lane open for testing throughout the day, your vehicle will receive our undivided attention!

For more information on our MOT test service, visit our website www.offrhodesgarage.co.uk