MOT Fail: Drivers wrongly believe test pass guarantees safety

New research has revealed that nearly half of drivers think an MOT guarantees their car’s safety for a whole year.

A staggering 47% of drivers wrongly assume that their motor will be safe for a full 12 months after a successful MOT test.

This dangerous understanding has seen 42% of car owners avoid vehicle servicing and ignore any fault threats simply because they hold a valid MOT certificate.

To make sure we are all singing from the same hymn sheet, a valid MOT certificate confirms that a vehicle has met the minimum standard of road worthiness at the point of testing but does not guarantee safety for the following 12 months.

Recently, a survey was undertaken by Halfords who reported that of the people that they questioned, 11% of them didn’t know when their next MOT was due. This sort of mistake could cost them up to £1,000 in fines.

The study also looked at other areas of motoring and found that 38% think their brakes are fine having passed an MOT. Brake failures are the third most common cause of failure, so it is vitally important to keep a constant eye on them.

These findings have differed up and down the country, with 30% of Scots admitting that an MOT is their car’s only assessment each year while 65% of London motorists admit the same.

In case you weren’t sure, it is a legal requirement for vehicles over three years old to be certified as roadworthy by successfully completing an MOT test.

Avoid MOT testing by choosing a new vehicle every couple of years. Visit the Premier Commercial Vehicles website and take a look at our latest car leasing and van leasing deals.