Making Sure Your Vehicle is Roadworthy – Prevent & Prepare | AD

*This is a collaborative guest post

Every car in the United Kingdom must have an annual MOT test from its third birthday, and this test can be a point of concern for drivers who cannot afford neither to be without a car nor to pay for expensive repairs. While there is little you will be able to do about your emissions or the integrity of your exhaust system, there are a number of points that you can check before taking your car in for its MOT. Let us take a look at some of these.

Lights

Being clearly seen and being able to see is vital in any road vehicle. Not only should you be able to see all around the vehicle and a good distance in the direction you are driving, but you should be easy for other drivers to spot too. This means having the appropriate lights on your car, in good working order, and all lighting evenly (sometimes bulbs weaken and you end up with one very bright light and one dim one, which can be disconcerting for other drivers). You should be able to put your lights on bright when driving at night, and also to dip them so as not to dazzle other road users, and your brake lights should respond promptly when you deploy the brake.

Brakes

Speaking of your brakes, they should also be in good condition, able to stop sharply in an emergency stop, but also able to bring you smoothly to a halt under normal road conditions. If you cannot stop your vehicle in a timely manner, your risks of being involved in – causing – a road traffic accident are hugely increased. Any problems with your brakes will earn you a major MOT fail, and will have to be rectified before you are allowed to drive your vehicle again.

Steering

Keeping your car under control is a must. Your steering wheel is allowed a small amount of play, but the car should respond readily to any turns of the wheel, so that you can drive safely, avoiding obstacles, including those that occur at extremely short notice – such as a child running out into the road.

Horn

Sound your horn! It is perhaps the easiest of all the pre-MOT test checks that you can do and it will ensure that you pass this section of the test at least! Your horn should respond to firm pressure on the button, making a sound that is loud enough and long enough to attract the attention of other road users, even in conditions that are fairly distracting, such as heavy traffic, a large crowd of pedestrians or watching the many ins and outs of a busy intersection.

To be safe rather than sorry, go online and find a copy of the latest MOT test (they add items to the list periodically) and then work your way through all the points that you can easily check off. Then, when you do go for your MOT, you will do so with the peace of mind of knowing that you have done all you can to get your car’s MOT certificate renewed. To get a hassle-free and quick booking of MOT Test, go to Elite London MOT Centre and we guarantee you will not be disappointed.