MOT Testing: Keeping Your Car Safe and Legal

When you drive on British roads, your car must be in a roadworthy condition. This means that if certain systems have faults or your car’s safety devices don’t work properly, you should not take it out on the road even if you are insured. By definition, unroadworthy cars are no longer insured. In places like Brighton on the South Coast, sea spray and more than average UV light can cause problems with cars, especially ageing ones. To remedy this, the law demands that all cars that will be taken onto the public road network pass an annual MOT inspection once they’re three or older. What are the steps car owners should take to ensure their car passes its MOT and remains safe, as well as legal, between inspections? Read on to find out.

Tyre Checks

To begin with, your tyres must be in good order to pass an MOT. If you always park side-on to the sea in the same direction, then one side of your car will be more exposed to the sunny Sussex weather (in summer, at least) than the other. UV light exposure won’t just affect your car’s paint job but will impact on the rubber compounds its tyres are made from. This can lead to gouging or bubbles appearing on their sidewalls. Any car that has these issues could face a blowout at any moment, not even when you’re driving, so you should change your tyres and consider your parking habits, so such deterioration doesn’t happen so fast.

Visibility Inspections

You need to be able to see clearly when driving. When you book your MOT test in Brighton with KAP or at any other centre for that matter, one of the first inspections is your windscreen. Chips in front of the driver’s view will lead to a failure as will more pronounced cracks anywhere on the glass. You must also have a working rearview mirror and at least one side mirror to pass an MOT. Check your wiper blades, as well. If these are old and worn down, then they won’t shift rainwater effectively during a shower. This means your car could fail unless you prepare by fitting new ones before your test

Brake Pad Testing

Your brakes will be inspected. They are a fundamental part of the way cars operate and essential for road safety, after all. Usually, cars fail because their brake pads are worn down and simply need to be replaced with new ones. If your car’s braking system feels soft or you detect a squealing sound when you put the brake pedal down, it is highly likely you can avoid an MOT failure by fitting new pads.

Airbags and Seatbelts

Finally, you need to make sure all the car’s seatbelts are in good working order. If they are fraying or have become so twisted that they don’t sit straight when not in use, you’ll need new ones. You cannot test airbags, of course, but your dashboard should inform you if there is a fault with one. Some motorists correctly turn off passenger airbags to accommodate a baby seat. Don’t forget to turn it back on ahead of your MOT, however, something that is easy to overlook