Understanding the MOT rules in 2020

by Matthew Thomas V-Tech Auto

If you own a vehicle that has been used for more than 3 years, you should get a mandatory MOT certificate for it. MOT is a test done to check if the vehicle can be used on road by the professional examiners.

What are the new MOT rules?

In the old MOT, the vehicles were categorized as a pass, pass with some faults or fail. Now with the arrival of new rules, the defects have been categorized into dangerous, major or minor which are explained as follows

MOT stops/ fails

Dangerous –If the fault is dangerous then the vehicle fails. The vehicle cannot be used until the faults are repaired.
Major – If the fault is major then the vehicle fails and you are supposed to get the requisite repairs at the earliest possible.

MOT proceeds/Passes

Pass – when a vehicle meets the legal standards, it is considered to be pass
Advisory – In this, the vehicle passes with minor faults which must be repaired
Minor – In this, the vehicle passes the test but there is a need for correction at the earliest if failed might worsen the condition.

What’s the difference between the Dangerous and Major category?

If the vehicle's fault is dangerous, you should not drive the car.
If a vehicle's MOT Reading fails before the expiry of the old MOT certificate, in such cases, one should not drive the vehicle with dangerous faults. There is an immediate need of repairing them. If one is found using a vehicle that has faults that are dangerous, the driver may be fined heavily and be banned from driving with a record in the digital database of vehicle. This is done so that the authority knows about the condition of the vehicle when on road.

One can drive the vehicle with minor faults, if the old MOT is valid still, as the vehicle is taken for an early MOT. But if the vehicle has faults which might be unsafe on road, the driver may get prosecuted by police if one is stopped by them.

Retest of Vehicle

If the vehicle fails the MOT test, you must get the required repairs and apply for a retest within 10 days. A retest is done for free in the 10 working days of the MOT failing

If the vehicle is taken away for repair and is returned by the end of the next day, the test is free normally. If one gets back to the same test centre within the next 10 days of working for a partial retest, there is a lesser fee charged but not free.

Motorists need to maintain safety. The MOT is one of the ways to prove that a car is roadworthy, and is safe.