- MOT centres will be maxed out due to legacy covid deferrals
- A quarter of drivers don’t carry out any vehicle checks
before its MOT
- “Book early to avoid disappointment” says MD for AA Smart
Care
Analysis by AA Smart Care* reveals that November will be the
busiest month for MOTs in 2023 due a mixture of the spread of new
vehicle registrations and legacy MOT deferrals due to the
pandemic.
The UK’s fourth emergency service has dubbed it ‘Nutty November’
as drivers scramble for tests for the end of October and through
November. The AA are advising drivers to book their slot early to
ensure they keep their car on the road. AA Smart Care allows
bookings up to a month in advance to help alleviate stress and
worry about missing a MOT.
It comes as a poll by AA Smart Care found that a quarter (24%**)
of drivers do not carry out any checks on their vehicle at all
prior to the MOT. Conversely, around a third (36%) of drivers
check the basics such as tyres and lights while more than one in
10 (12%) say they give their car a thorough investigation before
handing the keys to the MOT centre.
As many MOT failures are for simple to spot issues such as tyres
and bulbs, these can be easily rectified before submitting the
car. As well as keeping the cost of the test and repairs down, it
also helps centres plan and test vehicles submitted to them.
Recent DVSA data shows that 28% of all cars and vans fail their
MOT***.
James Hosking, managing director for AA Smart Care, said; “The
number of MOTs due this November is going to be incredibly high,
so drivers should book early to avoid disappointment.
“With MOT centres already starting to fill their diaries for the
coming weeks, the peak is set to hit throughout November as
drivers were able to defer their MOT by six months during the
pandemic.
“Cars on the roads are getting older, so it’s more important than
ever to regularly check your vehicle throughout the year, and not
just before its MOT. Keeping an eye on tyres and bulbs takes five
minutes, but can save against a costly repair bill and spread the
cost of vehicle maintenance across the year.”
ends
NOTES TO EDITORS
* Smart Care (theaa.com)
** Yonder received 12,895 responses from AA members to its online
poll between the 11th to 21st August 2023. Yonder is a member of
the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
*** MOT testing data for Great
Britain - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
