MOT tests down 80% in April

Almost 750,000 MOT tests were carried out in April 2020, despite the government giving motorists a six-month MOT holiday from 30 March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

An Freedom of Information request made by Motorway.co.uk to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), revealed that 746,157 MOTs took place across the UK in April.

However, the number of tests was down 80 per cent on the previous month, when 3,723,524 MOT tests were carried out. Just over 3.5 million MOTs were carried out in April 2019.

Alex Buttle, Motorway.co.uk director, said: “These figures from the DVSA show that despite motorists having the opportunity to postpone their MOT test, many have chosen not to do so. There could be a number of reasons why; with general car maintenance, ongoing value and safety issues likely at the forefront of many drivers’ minds.

“Saying that, the number of MOTs in April was still substantially lower than March figures, and we expect to see a similar low level of testing in May, as lockdown restrictions have only been eased slightly this month.

“From a cost point of view, cash-strapped car owners might consider delaying their MOT for the full six months, but the reality is that the cost of a test is small compared to the human cost if you’re driving a car that has a serious fault or defect.

“Many garages are still open for MOTs, and anyone driving an older vehicle, which tend to be more susceptible to problems due to wear and tear, might be wise to take their car in close to the original MOT date to give it a full check and service. It will give them the peace of mind that it’s in good condition and mechanically sound at the present time.”