What are the current MOT Regulations for cars and light commercial vehicles?

When it comes to owning a car, there’s a lot of different points to keep on track of. Interim and Full Services, taxes, insurance and MOTs are just some of the regulations that you will need to comply with. So, we get that it can be a bit stressful at times!

MOTs in particular cause car owners a lot of confusion. It’s hard to know how often it’s needed, what needs to be checked, or how your car can pass its MOT. 

To help you keep in the know (and save you from stressing) we’re here to help. We’ve used this blog post to provide you with our quick and easy guide to the current MOT regulations. Read on to find out all you need to know about the current UK MOT regulations for cars and light commercial vehicles. 

Understanding MOT regulations. 

Any vehicle that is aged three years or more will need to have been issued an MOT certificate. 

This certification needs to be renewed every year. 

It is the responsibility of the car owner to ensure that the MOT examination of their vehicle takes place each year. 

If you can’t remember when your car had its last MOT test, then you can just check your existing MOT test certificate, and see when it expires. 

During an MOT, your car’s performance and each of its parts will be assessed thoroughly, in order to ensure that it is in peak working order. 

According to the PROTYRE website, the most common reasons for a vehicle to fail its MOT in the UK are: 

• Headlights and headlamp aim – which cause 17% of all MOT check failures 
• Tyres – faulty tyres are responsible for 14% of all MOT check failures
• Registration plate damage – which causes 14% of the UK’s MOT check failures. 

What are the latest MOT changes? 

On 11th January, a number of key changes were made to the UK’s MOT requirements. 

You can find out more details about these changes on the GOV.UK website. 

The main alteration to the MOT was the way in which the DVSA permits tyres to be stored in vehicles. 

Now, tyres which are more than 1o years old cannot be fitted on the front axles of mini buses or buses, lorries, or coaches, or the rear axle of any mini bus on which single rear wheels have been fitted.  

If you have any further questions about the MOT, the GOV.UK website is full of information. 

In addition, if you want to prepare your car for it’s upcoming MOT, we would highly recommend that you get your car tyres in top condition. That’s where we can help. If you want to restore your car tyres to peak condition, and keep them working at the optimum level for longer, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.