Car Safety – Why Is an MOT Important?

MOTs are carried out for many different reasons. For example, the annual check that is made on all cars – and most commercial vehicles, too – will check for the level of pollutants that are being emitted at any time. This is an especially important aspect of MOTs today, particularly in urban environments like London where air quality is a big issue. However, MOTs were primarily designed to ensure cars are safe to drive on British roads. What safety checks can you expect to be made during your car’s MOT?

To begin with, an MOT inspection will confirm how well – or otherwise – your car’s brakes are functioning. You ought to have properly working brakes all the time of course but not everyone has their car serviced every year so brakes can start to fail and this can go unnoticed by some drivers. Visit Elite MOTs London Autocentre for the best prices in town! You can have your car’s MOT inspection booked in or just make an appointment to check your brakes if you’re worried about them.

Secondly, MOT tests will include a confirmation that the car’s safety warning systems are functioning properly. Among them is a check that is needed with all MOTs to make sure the hazard warning lights operate correctly. In fact, your car’s lamps are all safety features. Non-working brake lights, fog lamps, headlights or reversing lights will all result in your car failing its MOT on safety grounds.

Another important safety check that will be made during an MOT is to do with your seatbelts. As you probably know, they are compulsory for all motorists and passengers nowadays. However, this means they must not be twisted or frayed so they won’t work properly. In addition, the MOT inspector will check to see that the buckle clip works properly and is free from any potential blockages.

Being able to see out of your car properly is another important safety issue. The MOT test rules mean that your car’s windscreen wipers will be checked thoroughly to make sure they do a good enough job of clearing muck and rainwater from your windscreen. Those with wipers that get stuck or don’t move will fail. Equally, cars with faulty wiper blades that have worn down or become torn will also result in an MOT failure. In addition, your car’s screenwash will be checked. Not only should you have sufficient in your reservoir but the pump to dispense it must be operational, too.