6:06 pm, September 9, 2011
A THIRD of drivers don’t book their MOT in advance, thereby facing being caught out when their MOT expires.
Along with the findings from a new research, it is also believed there are 1.1m car owners who are choosing not to get their car’s MOT renewed on the due date – and consumers’ short cash flows is to blame.
Police data shows that the combination of drivers with memory lapses and those deliberately delaying renewal means that as many as 10 per cent of cars on UK roads may not have a valid MOT.
40 per cent of all cars fail their annual MOT, with average vehicle failing the test doing so on more than three issues. Lighting and signalling defects, suspension defects, defective brakes, illegal tyres, and impaired drivers view of the road are the five most common causes of failure.
David White, customer services director at Kwik Fit, said: ‘If car owners are used to their car regularly passing the MOT with no problems, they may view an MOT simply as a piece of paper they need in order to get their car taxed.
‘However, the statistics show that the test plays a vital role in identifying defects on a car that render it unroadworthy and unsafe to drive.
‘It also provides a warning of items which will shortly become unsafe by highlighting them as ‘advisory’. This allows owners to rectify defects before they cause a problem, enabling them to drive with confidence in the safety of their car.
‘With more police forces across the UK using cameras to automatically scan number plates, and linking to the national vehicle database, those drivers who have forgotten to renew their MOT could be in for a rude awakening.’
With so many drivers forgetting when their MOT is due, there is a demand for a reminder service. 57 per cent of drivers said that they would sign up for a free email service, compared to only 18 per cent who say they would be unlikely to do so.
