MOT
More motorists are booking joint MOT and service procedures and MOT failures rates are expected to increase, according to service and repair shops. Indeed, demand for combined MOT and service procedures increased almost 50 per cent last month (48%), according to BookMyGarage.com. Meanwhile, MOT-only bookings were down in February compared with February 2020
With data showing that 93 per cent of garages planned to remain open during lockdown 2.0, it is a minority view, but one Suffolk garage is appealing for another MOT extension similar to what was enacted during the first lockdown in spring 2020.
2020 provided a turbulent 12 months for the humble MOT. At the start of the year, the centralised testing conducted on the island of Ireland was thrown into disarray after faulty vehicle lifts were found on both sides of the border. It also raised questions about the wisdom of centralised approach in comparison of the de-centralised model used across Great Britain. Of course, all this took place while Covid-19 was still a Far Eastern problem. And yet, before the first quarter was out, national lockdowns had resulted in the deployment a six-month extension of the MOT renewal date, which had the knock-on effect of causing an MOT boom in the last quarter of 2020. The last cars to make use of the extension had their testing date deferred to the end of January 2021, so that complex chapter in the history of the MOT is now over. It also means that we have a chance to learn what happened. At the same time, the latest full-year 2019/2020 DVSA vehicle testing data has now been released, so we can also learn more about how last year’s projections compared with the end results in the months preceding the pandemic and what this might mean in terms of tyre demand.
In December 2020, the DVSA shared details of the new secure way to log into the MOT testing system (MTS) via smartphone. Chris Price, Head of MOT policy, has further explained that, from mid-February 2021, testers will be able to log into MTS using an authentication app on your smartphone.
As another example of how the way we are doing business nowadays has been changed by the COVID pandemic, a survey carried out by the Independent Garage Association (IGA) has revealed that 88 per cent of independent garages are currently offering an MOT collection and delivery service for clinically extremely vulnerable and self-isolating people.
Today (Monday 11 January 2021), the DVSA updated its MOT guidance to clarify that “MOT centres can stay open in all areas of Great Britain, including during the national lockdown in England, the temporary lockdown in Scotland, and all of Wales in alert level 4 (lockdown)”. The same guidance always specifies that motorists are still required to get an MOT and there is no MOT exemption this time. As a result, garages across the UK should ensure that customers know that tyre fitting, vehicle repair and MOT services are permitted during the latest lockdown restrictions. At the same time, motorists need to know that there is no MOT exemption.
The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has launched its MOT Training and Assessment package for 2021. With a focus on e-Learning, the three-hour training also gives technicians the opportunity to retake the assessment up to three times if they’re not happy with their score on first or second attempt.
It isn’t news to say that the tyre and autocentre sector is becoming an increasingly technological business. However, two recent trends confirm the need for garages to be properly equipped – increasing electric vehicle take-up and, in the short term, booming MOT demand.
In January 2019, we predicted a 5 per cent increase in MOTs during the course of the year. One calculation suggested this would work out as 2.6 million extra MOT tests during 2019, which equates to something like 50 extra MOTs per site per month. The latest DVSA numbers suggest that MOTs actually went up by an estimated 6.2 per cent last year, rising from 29.560 million in 2018 to 31.405 million last year. So far DVSA have only released data relating to the first nine months of 2019, so the final figure could go down, but in all likelihood it now looks like 5 per cent was a conservative estimate.
It isn’t news to say that the tyre and autocentre sector is becoming an increasingly technological business. However, two recent trends confirm the need for garages to be properly equipped – increasing electric vehicle take-up and, in the short term, booming MOT demand.
This article, including a chart to support the analysis, appears in full in the November edition of Tyres & Accessories magazine. Not yet a subscriber? You can change that here.
With the clocks going back soon, it’s time for workshops to think of the products that will sell most at this time. Wiper blades are one such candidate. Following the long, bright summer, UV rays from the sun could have damaged blade rubber, so these need to be checked to ensure they’re in optimum condition. Indeed, a poll commissioned by Halfords found that 6.5 million cars are being driven by motorists with faulty wiper blades.
As the UK went into lockdown earlier in the year in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Government announced an extension to the MOT period, giving motorists up to an additional six months before their vehicle had to undergo its yearly ‘health check’ for roadworthiness. The inevitable result of this has seen a backlog of vehicles awaiting testing and an unprecedented number of MOTs now on the horizon, despite advice and warnings from the trade and authorities not to leave things to the last minute.
We have all read dire warnings in the press and online about the possible implications of the six-month extension to MOTs and of possible bottlenecks and logjams as everybody leaves it to the last minute to get their vehicles tested. As lockdown measures ease, the demand for routine servicing, repairs and MOTs is already dramatically increasing. Yuasa are encouraging garages to introduce a simple battery check as part of their MOT and service schedules to identify if the vehicle’s battery has been damaged due to reduced usage. At the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, it is estimated that around 70 per cent of the UK’s cars remained immobile.
The majority of car owners have taken advantage of the six-month extension announced by the government in March to delay getting an MOT, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by The Motor Ombudsman. The study of 765 individuals in Great Britain, who have a car of three or more years of age, and that had an existing MOT certificate expiring between 30 March and 31 July 2020, revealed that 56 per cent had exercised their right to prolong taking their vehicle to a garage for the compulsory annual test.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is encouraging motorists to get their delayed MOT test done this summer ahead of a surge in demand in the Autumn. The projections, based on due dates and vehicle MOT expiry dates, show that demand for MOTs will be at around 3.4 million in September, 4.8 million in October and November and 4.2 million in December. This demand is predicted to be around double the normal volumes (approx. 2.5 million per month). However, August demand is predicted to be just over 2 million MOTs, which is fewer than usual.
A leading motoring solicitor has urged motorists not to forget to MOT their vehicles this month as the lockdown-related extension period ends on 1 August 2020. When the COVID-19 lockdown was introduced the government announced it was waiving the requirement for MOT tests for six months, extending the MOT certificates of cars due to be tested between 30 March 2020 and 29 March 2021, making them valid for 18 months rather than 12.
The Motor Ombudsman
ITV Anglia
BookMyGarage.com
DVSA
StockSnap; Pixabay
TechMan
IMI
S. Hermann & F. Richter; Pixabay
Trico
Klarius
Motor Ombudsman
Ryan Doka; Pixabay