Every year, motorists up and down the year get a reminder. This reminder can make people anxious, worry, or can come as a welcome distraction. We are talking about the MOT test.
We have all been there; sitting in the cold and draughty waiting room of the local garage hoping and praying that our cars will make it through. At least for one more year! The funny thing is this; we all know that we are going to face an MOT every year (except for cars that are less than three years old of course), and that the tests are actually put there to keep us, and all road users safe. They have become part and parcel of motoring. But how did the need for MOTs start? Where did it all come from?
Before we go on, it is clear to understand what an MOT test is. Put simply, the MOT is an annual examination of the car that every car owner in Britain has to face.
When did the MOT test Start?
The history of the MOT actually commences around the 1950s. Britain was just recovering from the second world war. During this time, many people bought second hand cars and vans that were predominantly manufactured pre 1940. Of course, the majority of these vehicles were not in the best of condition and had rarely been serviced. This led to the roads being cluttered with vehicles that were deemed to be potentially dangerous. Normally, these defects were centred around defective brakes, the lights or the steering.
It was in 1960 that the Minister of Transport at the time, Mr Ernest Marples made the decision that any vehicle over the age of ten years should have their lights, brakes and steering checked annually. In the beginning, this became known as the ‘ten year test’, or more formally the Ministry of Transport test – and of course it then became shortened to the MOT. It did not take long for the MOT age to be reduced down to just 3 years by April 1967.
The MOT test got extended and expanded to the more comprehensive test that we know it as today – and this is developing and evolving all the time. One of the most major developments over the past few decades was introduced in the 1990s when more sophisticated emissions testing for vehicles were introduced for vehicles with catalytic converters.
The MOT test is also about EU harmony
Another major development in the history of the MOT is that of the EUs involvement. Being part of the European Union resulted in Britain having to follow EU directives which set minimum standards for vehicle testing. Believe it or not, there are some EU countries that conduct their testing every two years, however Britain decided to stick with the annual testing as per standard.
Now, nearly 70 years after their first introduction, there are around 22,000 testing stations in Britain with 50,000 registered MOT Testers.