History of the MOT Test

Compulsory vehicle testing was introduced in Great Britain in 1960 when the Motor Vehicles Test Regulations came into operation. The test was initially confined to vehicles that were ten years old or more, but the testable age was progressively reduced to three years by April 1967.

 On 1 January 1983 the testable age for ambulances, taxis and vehicles with more than eight passenger seats, excluding the driver's was reduced to one year. Initially the test, which became known as the 'MOT' test, was limited to braking, steering and lighting equipment. New items and different standards have been introduced from time to time, including:

• 1968 A trye check
• 1969 A check for the presence (but not the condition) of legally required seat belts
• 1977 Checks of front windscreen wipers and washers, direction indicators,stop lights, horn, exhaust system and condition of the body structure and chassis together with a more detailed check on seat belts (including condition and operation this time)
• 1991 Checks of the exhaust emissions for petrol engined vehicles, together with checks on the anti-lock braking system, rear wheel bearings, rear wheel steering, rear seat belts and (when fitted) and brake fluid level.
• 1992 A stricter tyre tread depth requirement for most vehicles
• 1993 Checks of the rear fog, hazard warning and number plate lights, and of the drivers' view of the road, body condition, body security, load security, doors, registration plates, fuel system (including filler cap) and mirrors
• 1994 A check of exhaust emissions for diesel engined vehicles
• 1996 New and stricter exhaust emission checks for petrol engined vehicles
• 1998 Seat belt installation check introduced for minibuses and buses
• 2002 New inspection manual introduced - checks for bonnet primary and secondary safety latches
• 2003 MOT testing comes into the computer era

This lists the more significant changes to test, but it is by no means the full list of all changes

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