# Industry news MoT EXEMPTION DOES NOT MEAN MINIMUM LEGAL TREAD DEPTH IS SUSPENDED



## WHIZZER

With the introduction of a six-month exemption on MoT for Britain's motorists, drivers should be aware this does not mean the law governing the minimum legal tread depth of 1.6mm has been suspended, warns TyreSafe.

Tread depth is essential to keep a vehicle in contact with the road in wet conditions. Without this crucial contact, a vehicle will be more difficult to control and take longer to stop. At present, a tyre being driven below 1.6mm is illegal and if found by the police could result in a fine of up to £2,500 and three-points being added to a driver's licence - per tyre.

In the battle to halt the Coronavirus pandemic, the government announced that from the 30th March 2020, vehicle owners have been granted a six-month exemption from MOT testing to enable vital services such as deliveries to continue, frontline workers to get to work, and people to get essential food and medicine.

While this measure was deemed to have been essential, it does mean drivers will have to take greater responsibility for their own road safety. As over a quarter of MoT failures have historically been due to unsafe tyres, too many of Britain's vehicle owners have until now clearly been leaving tyre checks to the MoT testers. If motorists are to minimise their risk of an incident on the roads, they will need to ensure their tyres' air pressure, condition and tread depth are fit for the road and legal.

A tyre's correct air pressure is determined by the vehicle manufacturer and can be found in the handbook, door shut or fuel filler cap, and on many online pressure look-up tables including at tyresafe.org. Owners should use an accurate pressure gauge to check their tyre's inflation level and adjust it according to the manufacturer's recommendation, paying attention to the need to adjust between heavy and light loads.

A 20p-piece can be used as a guide to how close a tyre's tread is to the legal limit. Insert the coin across the width of the tyre and around its circumference; if you can see the border to the 20p, your tyre is close to the legal limit and should be checked with an accurate gauge.

Drivers should also check their tyre doesn't have any lumps, cracks or objects embedded in it. If any of these are seen, the tyre should be considered unsafe to use until checked by a professional.








Stuart Jackson, TyreSafe Chairman said: "The need to make vehicles exempt from the MoT is regrettable from a road safety point of view but entirely understandable in the current context of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, drivers should be making certain when they drive, their vehicle is safe. With so many uncertainties and unexpected events happening to families and organisations all the time, drivers should not delay in carrying out these checks but instead be confident their car is roadworthy no matter what the reason for their essential journey."


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## MagpieRH

Why would anybody think that?!


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## Dave Y

MagpieRH said:


> Why would anybody think that?!


Some will. :wall:


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## fatdazza

Some people need things spelling out in black and white.

So

MoT exemption is simply an extension of certificates for 6 months- 

All drivers still have a legal duty (as they always have) to make sure their vehicle is in a roadworthy condition.


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## muzzer

Dave Y said:


> Some will. :wall:


Exactly, the same people who think being asked to stay in is an excuse for one big party.


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## RandomlySet

I read on Facebook the other day that someone went for an MOT, failed because of a rusty sealbelt mounting, then found out about this extension and told his garage he'll come back in 6 months.....

Not realising he's now driving around with no MOT and *knowingly* driving around in a car he knows is unfit for the road.

MOT extension or not, it's always been illegal to drive around in a car that you know is in an unroadworthy condition.

People will try to take advantage of this, and dare say they'll kick up a fuss if/when they get "caught"


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## fatdazza

RandomlySet said:


> I read on Facebook the other day that someone went for an MOT, failed because of a rusty sealbelt mounting, then found out about this extension and told his garage he'll come back in 6 months.....
> 
> Not realising he's now driving around with no MOT and *knowingly* driving around in a car he knows is unfit for the road.
> 
> MOT extension or not, it's always been illegal to drive around in a car that you know is in an unroadworthy condition.
> 
> People will try to take advantage of this, and dare say they'll kick up a fuss if/when they get "caught"


 Would love it if they did kick up fuss, especially all the way to court, where the penalties will be more severe :thumb:


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## PugIain

Most people don't care what state their vehicles are in.
They'll get the jobs done that it needs to get through its MOT, so I dread to think what complete death traps are going to be going around in a few months time with this extension period.

Sent from my VFD 710 using Tapatalk


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## The Cueball

What's all this 20p nonsense??

Are there any tyres on sale in the UK that don't have wear indicators built into their design????

Why not teach people about that, rather than having to add something else into the mix...

I can already hear people saying they can't check as they don't have a 20p piece...

Don't understand this need to always add another step/item/tool for something so feckin simple!

:wall:


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## fatdazza

Ahh, but when they are down to the wires, people won't be able to see the wear indicators - hence the need for the 20p test.


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## Kerr

The amount of cars found with basic and serious issues every MOT is a worry. 

A lot of people will use the extension to avoid bills.


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## Andy from Sandy

> if you can see the border to the 20p, your tyre is close to the legal limit and should be checked with an accurate gauge.


Not only a coin but a proper gauge.


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## Andy from Sandy

In quite a few states in America they don't have MOT type testing at all. Some states only do emission checks.

I wish without the exception of going to a MOT station or for repair any car being driven on the road without an MOT gets taken immediately to a crusher.


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## Kerr

Andy from Sandy said:


> In quite a few states in America they don't have MOT type testing at all. Some states only do emission checks.
> 
> I wish without the exception of going to a MOT station or for repair any car being driven on the road without an MOT gets taken immediately to a crusher.


An MOT is only proof the car was roadworthy on the day. There is plenty of cars with a valid MOT certificate that are unroadworthy.

Equally there's some people that have accidentally forgotten or made an error and their car is fine.


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## Andy from Sandy

Do we have to do this every time?

Ignorance is not an excuse. There is a government app now to send you messages.

I realise I should of put every item that makes a car a death trap should be a reason to take it to the crusher.


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## Soul boy 68

PugIain said:


> Most people don't care what state their vehicles are in.
> They'll get the jobs done that it needs to get through its MOT, so I dread to think what complete death traps are going to be going around in a few months time with this extension period.
> 
> Sent from my VFD 710 using Tapatalk


You should see my neighbours cars, absolute pigs.


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## Kerr

Andy from Sandy said:


> Do we have to do this every time?
> 
> Ignorance is not an excuse. There is a government app now to send you messages.
> 
> I realise I should of put every item that makes a car a death trap should be a reason to take it to the crusher.


Do what every time?


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## RandomlySet

Andy from Sandy said:


> In quite a few states in America they don't have MOT type testing at all. Some states only do emission checks.
> 
> I wish without the exception of going to a MOT station or for repair any car being driven on the road without an MOT gets taken immediately to a crusher.


I think Florida is one of those States. Not sure they even do emissions.


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## SteveTDCi

Working in a test centre there are a few that fail on niggly things, usually dust covers on drop links

However occasionally you see stuff that really should not be on the road


















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## telewebby

an mot is a service isnt it?................... people/customers really are that stupid

Alex


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## MagpieRH

telewebby said:


> an mot is a service isnt it?................... people/customers really are that stupid
> 
> Alex


Not quite sure what you mean


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## foxmeister

How does it all work with tax, you need an MOT to tax a car so does this allow use of a vehicle with no MOT and tax then?

That brake disc is madness, unfortunately ive saw similar years ago


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## Andyblue

foxmeister said:


> How does it all work with tax, you need an MOT to tax a car so does this allow use of a vehicle with no MOT and tax then?
> 
> That brake disc is madness, unfortunately ive saw similar years ago


If you check your MOT status it's altered, so you can tax your car.

Happened to wife's car, MOT due 30th March, was booked in for its test week / 10 days before due - cancelled by Mercedes garage as they were closing (happened twice).

Checked on it's MOT online and now for September, so taxed no problem :thumb:


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## telewebby

MagpieRH said:


> Not quite sure what you mean


after working in the motor industry for over 10 years customers seem to be getting thicker/not caring about their vehicles as much and wonder why they breakdown after lack of maintaince.

"an mot is a service isnt it" is a line we hear all to often from customer when we ask when was the car last serviced?

we then have to explain the difference. dont even get me started on the lack of knowledge about tread depth and tyre issues.......

Alex


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## piston_warrior

Andyblue said:


> If you check your MOT status it's altered, so you can tax your car.
> 
> Happened to wife's car, MOT due 30th March, was booked in for its test week / 10 days before due - cancelled by Mercedes garage as they were closing (happened twice).
> 
> Checked on it's MOT online and now for September, so taxed no problem :thumb:


Unfortunately mine still says mid April for some reason, it might be due to it never having an MOT before. I'll see what happens nearer the time.


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## Cyclonetog

telewebby said:


> after working in the motor industry for over 10 years customers seem to be getting thicker/not caring about their vehicles as much and wonder why they breakdown after lack of maintaince.
> 
> "an mot is a service isnt it" is a line we hear all to often from customer when we ask when was the car last serviced?
> 
> we then have to explain the difference. dont even get me started on the lack of knowledge about tread depth and tyre issues.......
> 
> Alex


Similar in security.

A lot of people refuse to book their annual maintenance because we were there 4 months ago replacing a detector they smashed off the wall.


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## Andyblue

piston_warrior said:


> Unfortunately mine still says mid April for some reason, it might be due to it never having an MOT before. I'll see what happens nearer the time.


Wife's changed either day before or on the day - I was getting concerned, but checked on 31st and it had been altered...

They're probably doing them as they're due...


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## MagpieRH

piston_warrior said:


> Unfortunately mine still says mid April for some reason, it might be due to it never having an MOT before. I'll see what happens nearer the time.


They're adding six months on the day it's due - so hers will presumably update to mid-October on the due date

@telewebby, that makes a lot more sense! I thought _you_ were suggesting they were the same and I was very confused.


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## minimadmotorman

Need to get the fronts on our gerties Fabia done, they are down to 2.5mm. We aren't doing many miles though.


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## georgedawes

Andyblue said:


> If you check your MOT status it's altered, so you can tax your car.
> 
> Happened to wife's car, MOT due 30th March, was booked in for its test week / 10 days before due - cancelled by Mercedes garage as they were closing (happened twice).
> 
> Checked on it's MOT online and now for September, so taxed no problem :thumb:


I checked this, yesterday. On Total Car Check, I have an extra 6 months on. On the .Gov website, my MOT expires on the correct day, pre 6 months extension:wall::wall:


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