We all have to go through the process of taking our car in for an MOT, but do you ever take a second to ask yourself “what does MOT stand for?” All of us do, let’s be honest, but thankfully we know what we’re talking about here at Ken’s Autos – so we thought we’d get into it. We think you’ll be surprised with the outcome…
What does MOT stand for?
Contrary to popular belief, MOT is simply an acronym for the ‘Ministry of Transport’. Anticlimactic, right? Yeah, we thought so too. Since we couldn’t make a blog post about simply answering: “What does an MOT stand for?” we thought we’d go into some more information on the subject. You can find this below:
MOT
MOT, which we now know stands for Ministry of Transport, is actually now named after a defunct government department. The Ministry of Transport is, however, one of the ancestors of the Department for Transport.
There are over 20,000 local garages in Great Britain that are licenced to carry out, and award, MOTs – employing over 53,000 testers. An MOT testing license can be applied for by anyone, although you’d need to meet the minimum criteria of the government-issued VT01 form.
In Northern Ireland, tests must be carried out by DVA’s own test centres, which is their equivalent to the UK’s DVSA. There is a view to change this to a similar model to that of the remainder of the UK, though.
Aspects of an MOT Test
Just for good measure, the following are the main facets of an MOT test:
– The vehicle’s general structure, including its bodywork, are tested for corrosion and damage.
– Brakes are tested to ensure proper efficiency, performance and condition.
– Checks on the driver’s visibility are carried out by testing the wipers, washer bottle and windscreen.
– Exhaust checks are performed, as are checks on the fuel system itself.
– Lighting, including indicators, hazards, brake lights, and headlights will be checked to ensure the condition, operation, security, colour and aim are up to standard.
– Seatbelts will be examined for type, condition, operation and security that provides adequate safety.
– Steering and suspension systems are checked for the correct condition and operation.
– Tyres will be checked for the right condition, size, type and tread depth; with wheels being checked for condition, size and type also.
Hopefully, you now feel more clued up on MOTs, and might do a bit better if any related questions ever come up in a pub quiz. If you’d like to hear more about the MOT services we provide here at Ken’s Autos, please get in touch. You can call us on 0208 763 0102 or 01883 622 069. You can also fill out our simple contact form.