5 Ways an MOT Ensures Safety and Car Durability on Roads

Whether you drive overexposed and hilly ground, such as you will find in the Pennines in Yorkshire and Lancashire, or are used to flatter ground in East Anglia and Essex, ensuring your car is in proper condition to meet the local conditions is important. The annual MOT inspection most cars must undergo won’t necessarily mean fine-tuning it for the Yorkshire Moors or the flatlands of eastern England. Still, it will mean that your vehicle has been professionally assessed as safe to drive. MOTs ensure the safety and durability of cars, not just for their owners but also for passengers and other road users. Find out how their composition helps to achieve this.

1. Visibility Checks

Firstly, the MOT inspection process means that your car’s visibility – or lack of it – will be checked. What this boils down to is a series of inspections on things like the mirrors and windscreen. If you have a minor chip, then it won’t be an issue, but if it impairs your vision or looks like it might grow, then your car could fail. The same goes for demisters that don’t work or even rearview mirrors that aren’t properly fitted. You will also have your wiper blades checked to make sure they function properly. If not, your car will probably fail due to a lack of visibility in the rain.

2. Seatbelt Inspections

Safety should be a concern whether you live in Blackburn, Beverley or Basildon, Bolton, Bedale or Braintree. In this respect, there are not many more important safety devices than seatbelts. During an MOT, your car’s belts will be checked to make sure they are not fraying and that they lock up when jerked. The buckle must also be working correctly, with nothing preventing you from clipping in properly. If your seatbelts are so twisted they won’t sit flat, you could also fail. You can also get your MOT booked in Basildon from Elite Direct or somewhere local to you, where you can also have your seatbelts changed, if necessary, by having a service carried out prior to the test itself.

3. Lighting and Electrical Checks

Various electrical systems make cars run smoother and handle better, but some are essential for the safety and durability of the vehicle, too. For example, you must have a heating system that works because driving in the cold is basically unsafe. Your indicators must flash correctly, too, or you may fail the test. MOT inspectors also check the fog lamp and reversing light, which you might not even realise have stopped working unless you check them regularly. Headlamps and brake lights are also considered essential for safety, so these are inspected, too.

4. Brake Testing

Brakes are not just there to help you stop in an emergency but provide greater control when driving, even if you don’t have to come to a halt. All too often, however, cars’ brake pads are so worn down that they don’t provide the correct level of control. If you are driving on a busy road like the M62 or the A127, then you’ll need to be able to apply your brake pedal and not get a spongy response. Therefore, MOTs include checks on both brake pads and brake fluids to make sure the entire system is working properly.

5. Tyre Inspections

Finally, tyres are important to help protect you and your passengers in the event you drive over a pothole or road debris. They provide extra resilience over and above your suspension system. They’re also essential for control, especially in wet conditions. The pressure level and state of the tread will both be inspected during an MOT to make sure they’re up to scratch.