As always, we'd like to know what you think, so let us know in the comments.
If every test had an A4 certificate printed out, those pieces of paper would:
In fact, it would take 13,800 boxes of A4 paper to print that many certificates. And it takes more than 4,000 trees to create that much new paper.
In this blog post I want to explain what we’re doing to reduce this amount of paper and how you can help us achieve this.
Our strategic plan to 2025 sets out our ambition within the MOT to:
I blogged about our proposed move to paperless certificates in August, sharing the work we’d been doing with our user research team, alongside our review of the paper we ask you to store and print within the MOT.
We’re still reviewing the findings of this paper review and considering where we can best make use of our current digital services. But we want to start to move forwards with our plans to reduce the amount of MOT certificates being printed.
It will:
Back in January 2021 we made it optional for you to issue a paper record of the emissions test to the customer if the vehicle passes the emissions test.
Then in September 2021 we made it optional for you issue a paper MOT pass certificate - but we asked you to continue issuing paper fail certificates.
Since then we’ve reviewed our policy, and we think it’s now the time to start going further. So we’re now giving you the flexibility to not issue a paper fail certificate if the customer is able and willing to view the vehicle’s MOT record and history online.
You can still offer a paper fail certificate to your customers for complex or multiple failures so that it’s clear exactly what they need to do to fix the vehicle.
However, if the customer would prefer to look at this information online using the MOT history service, that’s fine. We want them to be able to choose what works best for them.
Also consider if issuing a PRS pass then no need to print the fail at all. It’s the next step in moving to a paperless MOT system.
For now, you’ll still need to issue a printed emissions test record if the vehicle fails the emissions test.
The easiest thing to do is to ask your customers whether they want a paper copy of their MOT certificate or if they’re happy viewing it online when they drop their vehicle off. They’ll then know what to expect when they collect it.
In some cases, if the vehicle does not have any advisories or if there are minor advisories, it makes more sense to suggest the customer views this information online.
We know many MOT centres are sending more and more paperwork to customers by email to help lower printing costs, so this could be something you’d like to consider if customers want a copy of their certificate.
We understand that there will always be customers who want a paper copy of their certificate to drive away with, so we’re not going to stop you from being able to print certificates. But it’s important we make small changes where we can.
MOT result | MOT certificate | Emissions test record |
Pass with no defects or advisories | Recommend the customer can view the MOT test result and history online - provide a certificate if they ask for one. | Ask the customer if they want a paper record. |
Pass with minor defects or advisories | Explain the defects or advisories and suggest the customer can view the MOT test result and history online - provide a certificate if they ask for one. | Ask the customer if they want a paper record. |
Fail with emissions pass | Offer a paper certificate, but explain they do not need it if they intend to check the MOT test result online. | Ask the customer if they want a paper record. |
Fail with emissions fail | Offer a paper certificate, but explain they do not need it if they intend to check the MOT test result online. | You must issue a paper emissions test record. |
We’ve been promoting our MOT history service since it launched back in 2015. We’re really pleased that it is the third most used online government service this year.
As we move towards a paperless system, we’re going to promote the service more and more on our social media channels.
We’ll be spreading the word that the best place to check a vehicle’s MOT test result and history is on GOV.UK – not a paper certificate. It’s more secure, always up to date and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
We’ve also reviewed the language we use across our web pages. We’ll be removing references to ‘printing’ and “storing paper copies of certificates” and signposting people to our MOT history service where they can view a copy of their vehicle’s record instead.
Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing the message across our social media channels and through the media so that as many people as possible will know about the changes before they book their MOT.
Ultimately, we know how important it is to do our bit for the environment and this will help bring the service in line with other services across the world. It’s getting rarer to find a business these days that will automatically print out and hand you a receipt without asking first, and in the grand scheme of things, an MOT certificate is a type of receipt.
We’re confident that this change will cause little to no disruption to you and your business, and in the long run, save you money and time.
To help you have these conversations with customers and explain to them why they might not receive a paper copy of their MOT result we’ve created a toolkit for you. It’s got our key messages in, suggested social media and website content and some graphic images. It also includes some printable posters that you can pin to your notice boards.
Download 'Encouraging motorists to view their MOT certificate online: toolkit' (PDF, 6MB).
The posters, graphics and email banner are available for you to download below.
Preview | Email banner |
"We're no longer printing MOT certificates as standard" (Blue - PNG, 124KB) |
As ever, we want to hear your thoughts and ideas on how we can continue to support you in your role, so please do leave us a comment below.
]]>Forget the ghosts and ghouls banging on your doors, we’ve got some far scarier tales to share with you from some seriously spooked MOT testers.
When you think you’ve seen it all, we bring you some new tales that will have you wide eyed and white knuckled as you delve in to our latest edition of Halloween MOT Horror stories.
This lower suspension arm on a Vauxhall Meriva was creepily close to failing on its way to the testing station. The tester was amazed that it hadn’t completely disintegrated under the weight of the vehicle.
It’s very possible that this vehicle would have had an advisory on a previous MOT test for corrosion that has been ignored by the vehicle owner.
Advisories are provided to alert drivers to future problems on their vehicles before they become serious or dangerous.
The best course of action is to get advisories repaired before your next MOT test.
This will ensure that your vehicle is in the best possible condition it can be, and normally the earlier you address an advisory the less costly it is likely to be to repair it.
A Local Authority tester was tread-ified after seeing the tyres on a motor caravan.
One of the worst examples of tyre wear that we have seen so far. Made worse by the bulging sidewall of the tyre which is reminiscent of a scene from Alien.
This tyre was at a serious risk of having a blowout and should have been changed at a much earlier date than at the MOT test. The law requires tyres to have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm, although this is a case of the more you have, the better!
A low tread depth can make it more difficult to drive in adverse weather conditions, can cause you to aquaplane, result in blowouts, increase stopping distance, and cause maintenance issues with wheel alignment and balance.
Our advice is to check your wheels before you get behind your wheel, and always make sure your tyres are pump-kined up.
A cracking example of what can happen if you don’t check your tyres regularly. You may end up with a visit from Tready Krueger!
Ignored by the driver despite a daily commute of 100 miles on the motorway, thankfully the vehicle was presented for MOT before it got a Boo-low out.
You should always remember to check your tyres regularly, especially before a long journey.
Tyres are one of the most common reasons for MOT fails, and damaged or inadequate tyres can seriously compromise your vehicle when driving, especially at speed.
If you find a crack or bulge on your tyre, you should seek advice by taking it to your local garage to get it inspected.
The MOT tester really got his teeth into this one. After applying pressure to the brakes during an MOT test, an almighty bang echoed around the testing station.
Upon inspection the brake servo had blown apart at the seam! Fixodent was no use here!
A brake servo is a device that increases the pressure applied by the brake foot pedal.
Although this isn’t a common occurrence, if you detect any change in your vehicle’s braking system, get it checked out by a professional immediately.
You’d be batty not to realise that we all have a stake in vehicle safety, so a Count of one new servo was ordered to ensure this one was back on the road.
]]>Our aim is to make our data as open and as accessible as possible to improve road safety and MOT compliance.
We are in the process of updating our bulk data service called trade API so that it enables us to transfer our data faster to our users. The current trade API was never designed for the volumes of users it has and the success of our open data policy means it needs to be re-engineered to cope with user demand.
There are a number of different versions of the API and these will be amalgamated into one so that all the features are available for all users.
Furthermore, the new API will provide us with a platform to share different data in bulk such as test logs and test quality information but this will be a future piece of work.
One of the key users of our data are the police. We have been supporting them on Operation Tutelage - which was originally set up to crack down on insurance evasion however they have also started to focus on those without a valid MOT.
If the police find a vehicle driving on the road without an MOT, and they aren’t taking their vehicle for an MOT, they will send the motorist a nudge letter reminding them to get their vehicle tested. If this is ignored, they may be stopped by the police and be subject to a fine.
We hope sharing this data will make it easier to crackdown on those who try and drive without a valid MOT. This will have the benefit of improving MOT compliance and improve the volume of tests you conduct.
Last month we announced some new improvements being made to make it easier for customers to see if they’ve got a safety recall on their vehicle. Working alongside vehicle manufacturers, we now have access to real-time data which means we can further improve our digital services.
Changes to the MOT certificate and the MOT testing service (MTS) were introduced in July. This means that when motorists now receive their MOT certificate, it will also notify them of any outstanding safety recalls on their vehicle. The changes to MTS means you will get prompted when performing the MOT if the vehicle has an outstanding safety recall.
We’re updating the Check MOT history service so that a ‘pop up’ interrupt screen will show when someone enters the reg plate of a vehicle we know has an outstanding recall. Bringing this information to the forefront, rather than letting customers search themselves, should make it easier to stay safe and identify if the vehicle has an outstanding recall.
We’re also improving the MOT reminder service, which provides motorists with an automatic reminder to tell them when their MOT is due. When we send the MOT prompt via text or email, we will also now alert users if their vehicle has an outstanding recall.
Since bringing in the change to MTS and MOT certificates, we’d be interested to know how you’ve found this change, and whether it’s prompted more discussions about safety recalls with your customers.
We’ve been clear within our strategy and vision that over the next year, we want to massively reduce the amount of paper we use across the agency, and within our service. Part of this includes plans to provide a digital by default option for the MOT certificate.
Moving to a digital MOT record will reduce the amount of paper used which is beneficial to the environment whilst also making it easier for customers to access their vehicle records and view the results, if they need to view the certificate they can. We are keen to devalue the certificate and encourage people to use our digital services to reduce paper and fraud.
Before we make any changes to the current process, we need to understand exactly how people use their certificate, why they think they need it and how they use the MOT history service – which is where a digital copy of the certificate is already stored.
We’ve been carrying out user research with motorists, observing how they use the MOT history service and any barriers they face in accessing their digital certificate. The good news is that MOT history has performed well with participants, and we’re confident that with some small improvements the service is in the right place to help us move forward with digital certificates.
To make moving to a digital certificate as easy as possible, we want to review our use of paper across the MOT scheme. We’re carrying out a review at the minute of all the paper we ask you to print, or store hard copies of, to see what is still needed and what can be done digitally.
If there’s anything you think should be changed, or kept as paper, please let me know in the comments as I'd been keen to hear your thoughts.
A big piece of work we’ve been looking into recently, linked to the paperless review, is the MOT training log. Currently, training logs are recorded in many ways across different sites. With no one standardised way to complete them and no centralised way to view them, it can be difficult for testers and AEs to stay on top of training logs.
We’ve been carrying out research at several garages over the past few months to get a better understanding of how you store and use paper training logs. We've also been getting your thoughts on a digital version of your training log – from how it will work, to how long it takes to fill in and where it should be accessed on MTS.
We'll let you know more about how this piece of work progresses, and when you can start expecting to use a digital record of your training.
Something that came up when we were testing the digital training logs were questions around the purpose of annual training and what is covered. I thought it might be useful to explain why we choose certain topics – but also to remind you that we want training to be as beneficial as possible.
The topics are chosen through a combination of feedback from awarding organisations, vehicle examiners, training providers, and more. This is to ensure we’re providing the best possible training that is beneficial to you. The subjects are chosen for testers to find the information they need that will assist and help with the areas we have identified that there are problems with.
Alongside the chosen topics, if you know from your test quality information that there’s a certain area highlighted on, it makes sense to look at this as part of your training for the year. That way you get the most benefit from doing the training, and it’s really relevant to the areas you might need more help on.
Finally, as it gets closer to Autumn, it’s important that we make our customers aware of how to use and look after their vehicles properly in the darker months. We’d love to hear some of the shocking things you’ve found on vehicles to raise awareness of avoidable mistakes when it comes to keeping a vehicle safe to drive on Britain’s roads. Please send us your photos and a brief of explanation of what was found to social.media@dvsa,gov.uk. We’ll be sharing these in a blog post over the next few months and on social media.
]]>We are working on improving how we do emissions testing on diesels (known as Particulate Number (PN) Testing) will proceed with more pilot work.
Research conducted by the DfT into the use of PN testing equipment for the MOT concluded that it provided an effective means of identifying removed or damaged DPFs (diesel particulate filters), with significant advantages over current testing methods. We know some countries across Europe already use PN testing during their MOT test, and we’re looking into whether it would be feasible to do that in GB.
Whilst the current diesel emissions test measures the density of the smoke emitted from the vehicle, it doesn’t measure the size or quantity of the particles within that smoke. We now know that these smaller particles are very harmful to us and therefore measuring them will bring both air quality and health benefits.
We’re working with 10 garages of varying sizes over the next few months to trial a few different models of PN testing equipment. Once we have enough data, we’ll be able to decide whether it is practical to bring this into the MOT, and which PN tester types may be most suitable.
We know garages may have to invest in this equipment, so we want to reassure you that we won’t be making these changes without thorough consideration – and we do understand that uncertainty about dates of first MOT (for example) can affect those investment decisions a garage may make. But it’s important we do what we can to keep everyone safe by improving air quality – and that maximising the value we get from the MOT helps secure its future.
We understand that no matter what happens with the potential MOT modernisation, it will need careful and considerate change management. This will ensure that industry and other stakeholders are properly engaged and involved in future decisions.
DfT are therefore establishing a stakeholder review group that industry trade groups will be involved in to help guide this work if needed. We hope this will be a good way for the ‘voice’ to heard in future changes.
In my last blog post, I mentioned that we’ve been investigating and trialling the use of connected cameras in garages. This will enable testers to use a device with a camera built in, like a phone or a tablet, to take a photo of the vehicle’s number plate that you’re testing and upload it to MTS.
We had planned to begin the second trial with this new software in May. However, this will now be a bit later as we need to do some enabling security work first. It’s important we make sure MTS is protected against viruses or other bugs that could occur when people are uploading photos – hence this taking a little bit longer. We’ll let you know how this work progresses and when we’ll be rolling out the second phase.
Our latest blog post written by Neil Barlow, DVSA’s Head of Vehicle Policy and Engineering is about our recently published strategy and vision and how we will be working with you to implement it. You can read it on Matters of Testing How our strategy and vision will affect the future of the MOT - Matters of Testing (blog.gov.uk).
A big piece of work we’ve been developing over the past few months is improving our safety recalls data, and how we communicate this to motorists.
Whilst we currently provide vehicle recalls information on our check MOT history service, this data isn’t real-time. We’ve been working alongside major manufacturers to get real-time updates from them. Using their data, we’ll make improvements to our digital services to make it easier for motorists to see if their vehicle is subject to a safety recall.
We’ll make some further announcements soon. Once this feature is in, we expect more manufacturers will share their data in this way. This will make this increasingly useful until, eventually, we have all manufacturers on-board.
As always, please let us know your thoughts in the comments section and we’ll do our best to come back to any questions you have.
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Our strategic plan to 2025 and vision to 2030 set out our vision of keeping Britain moving safely and sustainably.
To help us achieve that, there are 3 key areas within the vision that we will focus on. We want to set standards, assess and test. We want to inform, educate, and advise our customers. And finally, we want to license and accredit, regulate, and enforce. I would like to share more about what we’re planning in these areas within the MOT and vehicle testing industry.
Standards work when they are current, relevant, clear, and practical. Because only then are they trusted and truly effective. So, we want to make the best use of data and technology to improve standards of MOT testing.
The vision sets out the likely impact that technology will have in DVSA, including the MOT. A core objective will be to ensure the future of the MOT strikes the right balance between maintaining a high standard to ensure vehicle and driver safety, alongside keeping pace with new technology and supporting the sector as these changes emerge.
A good example of this is ‘connected’ garage equipment, which is mandatory for new garages, and encouraged for all. As you know, this allows certain parts of an MOT test to be uploaded directly to our computers. This makes the test quicker and cuts out the kind of keying in errors that even the best of us can make.
We already use connected equipment with emission gas analysers, diesel smoke meters, and brake testers since 2020. Modernising the equipment used will help secure the future of MOT. Further pilots that will support MOT testers improve accuracy include using cameras to aid identification of vehicles and trialling connected headlamp aim hardware. Chris Price blogged more about how we’ll be trialling connected cameras.
I understand the practical reasons as to why mid-test it can be quite a drag to check a manual or call the helpdesk if those are not to hand. But maintaining and improving the quality of testing remains a key priority – and we want to better support you with this.
Over the next few years, we aim to pilot the use of different technologies to help us do this – for example, use of voice recognition through phones, to help provide automated real-time advice. This might all sound a little advanced – but these technologies are in use in other industries and will become more commonplace. So, starting some pilots will help us all get to grips with what may be possible.
We know you want to be able to get on and run your business. And you need us to recognise you, or your garage, officially so your customers know you’re qualified. You also need us to identify anyone competing in the MOT industry unfairly and dangerously and, where we must, to stop and even prosecute them.
Connected equipment is a great way of tackling fraud. As part of our strategy for the next few years, we want to look at how we can better tackle this – while minimising the impact on those who are doing things right. Initially we will be investing more into how our risk rating operates, making it ‘cleverer’ to help identify those up to no good. Integrating new IT systems to monitor MOT data input and analysing trends that appear will support DVSA to root out MOT fraud and make roads safer.
Going beyond connected equipment, it seems inevitable that we will need to look at ways of checking emissions more stringently. And the various types of driver assistance systems will become more important as drivers rely upon them more.
Another part of our vision is to do more to inform, educate and advise customers to do the right thing first time. That means better services and safer practice for everyone. As part of this, we want give motorists more information on how they can keep their vehicle safe to drive.
We know we have a lot of information on the MOT Testing Service (MTS) that is of benefit to your customers.
Car owners can already access the MOT test history and use the reminders service, as well as being able to obtain their previous test certificates. But as well as reminding people they need to get a test, there might be more we could do. For example, as technology and data from vehicles improves, we could remind motorists about their recent advisories and when they might need looking at.
We could send them a text or email reminder that they had an advisory on their tyre tread and that they will need to sort it out before the tyre becomes illegal.
With emergent technologies there is more that we can do to improve and increase the amount of relevant information we communicate. For example, information on recalls, and advice for motorists on what to do in-between MOTs. The more value we can get from the MOT and the associated contacts we have with motorists, the more we can improve road safety and air quality to really demonstrate the important part that the MOT plays in society.
I hope that I’ve been able to show you that we have a clear vision for the future of the MOT over the next 7 years. This work will be alongside the outcome of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) call for evidence, and consultation, which ran earlier this year into modernising the MOT.
Within that, DFT asked questions around the benefits of technology, sustainability and air quality and how we can better work with partners (such as MOT garages) to deliver services to the public. We will share more about the outcome of these questions with you soon and how we hope to explore these areas.
With your support, we’ve already made huge strides in the rollout of connected equipment. And we have already started making changes that will make life easier both for you and your customers, especially in the digital sphere.
I remain incredibly grateful to you for the hard work that you do to maintain the MOT as a fantastic and unique partnership between industry and government.
As always, we'd like to know what you think, so let us know in the comments.
Every year, we receive over 14,000 requests to correct MOT mileage readings through our contact centre and directly via GOV.UK.
Incorrect readings can go unnoticed by vehicle owners at the time of test. But at the point of trying to sell the vehicle, errors are highlighted by online car sales websites, dealerships or potential buyers.
Recording the odometer reading is a part of the MOT test. The tester enters the mileage into the MOT Testing Service (MTS). After the test is complete, the reading is shown on the MOT certificate and on the vehicle’s online MOT History.
After conducting some user research visits at MOT testing stations, we were able to understand how and why errors in mileage recordings occur. Speaking with MOT testers, we were able to broadly categorise reasons why mistakes are made.
Entering incorrect readings
The correct mileage is identified and usually written down on an inspection sheet or other paperwork. The mileage can then be entered incorrectly into MTS. This is often due to keying errors, where testers can accidentally catch another number on the keyboard when typing in the reading.
When speaking with some MOT testers, they all told us that they have made a mistake entering the mileage at least once. “I caught two buttons and hadn’t realised. It’s easy to catch keys on a keyboard.”
An incorrect number is often identified on the dashboard and entered as read into the system. Through our research, testers told us that it’s not always a simple task to read the odometer. Inconsistency across different manufacturers in how they display the mileage means that it’s not always easy to identify the mileage reading. Mistakes such as reading the trip meter instead of total mileage can also happen.
Dyslexia and dyscalculia
Recording data accurately is made more difficult for people with dyslexia and/or dyscalculia. These conditions have an impact on the task of reading, typing numbers, and other information into MTS.
These two conditions can be combined, with 60% of individuals with dyslexia also having difficulties with numbers.
We don’t currently have exact figures on the number of MOT testers who have these conditions. However, calculating against the national averages, 3000-6000 MOT testers are likely to have dyslexia, dyscalculia or a combination of both. The numbers are most likely higher than this, as people with dyslexia often go into careers that are more practical and involve less reading and writing.
Last July we added a new feature to MTS to highlight differences entered in the odometer reading in comparison to the previous MOT test. If the reading is the same as the previous one, or considerably different, a warning message now tells the tester if the reading is lower than, or significantly higher than the last test.
The feedback from the research was that the message is helpful in identifying potential mistakes when entering mileage readings. When the message is shown, testers must confirm that the reading they’ve entered is correct or edit and correct the reading.
“You have to double-check it. It’s there to help you.”
Since the new feature launched, the warning message has been triggered 1.5 million times, which equates to around 4% of all MOT Tests; this has resulted in 42% of these being re-entered, avoiding future corrections.
Future improvements
We have identified some content improvements to the odometer warning message, such as displaying last years’ mileage reading. This will make it easier to compare the readings and help testers quickly realise if they have made an error. This is part of our on-going design and research looking at other improvements to make the screen even more helpful in identifying mistakes.
Recognising that we have thousands of MOT testers who have difficulties in entering data into MTS, we are working on improvements to automate MOT data entry. Connected equipment was the first step in automating test results into the system, reducing the amount of information that has to be manually typed into MTS.
We are also planning on carrying out a second trial for cameras in garages. The aim of bringing camera technology into garages is to help reduce record keeping errors so that testers won’t need to enter the registration plate manually. By starting to automate data into MTS, including downloading data from the vehicle direct to MTS, we will have less reliance on manual typing of numbers. This will make it easier for those with dyslexia and dyscalculia. For more information, Chris Price discusses how we are working to trial the use of cameras in garages in his most recent blog post on Matters of Testing.
With the best of intentions, unfortunately mistakes can occur. Where errors are noticed within 28 days of the MOT being conducted, these can be corrected and a replacement certificate produced by the MOT centre.
Where errors are noticed over 28 days, these must be reported to DVSA. You will also need to email proof of the mileage, such as a scan or a photo of:
They need to show what the mileage should be, and show the same date as the MOT test.
This is important as if you do not send the right evidence, DVSA will not fix the mistakes.
]]>It’s been a while since we gave you a roundup of what’s happening with the MOT world and what we’ve been working. Over the next few months, I’d like to start sharing more regular updates with you to keep the industry better informed of our plans – especially the improvements we’re making to our digital services.
In today’s blog post, I want to give you an update on using advisories correctly, information on connected cameras and give a final nudge to those of you that are yet to complete their annual training and assessment.
The MOT is widely recognised as helping maintain Britain’s high standards of road safety - a testament to the hard work you and your colleagues do every day.
But, the way test results are recorded doesn’t just reflect on the test itself. It also reflects on the motor trade, the garage at which the test’s conducted and the tester themselves.
So it’s important to get it right by ensuring comments and details are factual and relevant.
A key part of the test is using advisories to tell drivers of emerging issues that could affect the vehicle’s safety and performance in the future.
We’ve become aware that advisories aren’t always used properly. There are three main issues that I want to share with you.
MTS (MOT testing service) has a range of standard wording for advisories listed against the components that are checked during the test and additionally has a list of pre-defined non-component advisory items that can be easily selected. All you need to do is search for the term you want and there’s a good chance the wording’s already there. Please don’t use free text if there’s already something in the system.
Advisories must be meaningful and relevant and are for the issues you find - not the ones you were unable to find. We have looked at some test data and have identified that on a significant number of occasions the same advisory defects have been repeated when a vehicle has been tested a year later. This obviously questions the validity and value of these items. Additionally, there’s no value in stating things like a vehicle’s standard fitment undertray stopped you from taking a full look under the vehicle.
You may well have seen media reports that some testers have used advisories to insult customers, make irrelevant comments and swear. It doesn’t need to be said, but this reflects badly on the MOT, the tester and their employer. DVSA is expanding the list of words that can’t be used for advisories on MTS. If we become aware of testers using them inappropriately, our enforcement teams will visit the test station to check that this is not the only area of their operations with poor standards. This could lead to the suspension of the tester and sanctions to their employer.
We know that testers find the manual advisory feature helpful. But if they continue to be misused in the ways we’ve outlined, we’ll consider removing the feature.
As you know, we recently introduced a new feature to MTS to help identify mileage errors. If the reading input by the tester is considerably different or the same as that recorded at the last MOT, an interrupt screen will warn them.
When this screen is shown, testers have to confirm that the reading they’ve entered is correct or edit and correct the reading.
We’ll do a further blog post to discuss this issue in more detail in the next couple of weeks.
Over the past year, we’ve been investigating and trialling the use of connected cameras in garages. Using a device with a camera built in, like a phone or tablet, will allow the you to take a photo of the vehicle’s number plate that you’re testing and upload it to MTS.
This will help reduce record keeping errors as you won’t need to enter the registration plate manually. This should also help save time during the test.
Following the first successful trial last year, we’ve been reviewing the findings and have made some improvements and are we're now planning to carry out a further trial. I want to thank all the garages who took part in the first trial to help us understand more about how this could work. Your feedback has been incredibly useful.
If there are no significant issues identified in the second trial, we plan to launch this feature as the primary method of registering tests.
We’ll let you know how the second trial goes and, if we decide to adopt connected cameras for all MOTs, we’ll give you plenty of warning of any changes.
It’s been great to see that the vast majority of you have completed this year’s MOT training and annual assessment. The deadline is 31 March 2023, so there’s still time to get it done if you hurry.
I also wanted to take the opportunity to thank you all for giving your thoughts to the Department for Transport on their consultation and call for evidence on changes to the MOT. There were over 4,000 replies, which are now being collated by DFT and analysed. We’ll share more about the outcome of the consultation and call for evidence when we can.
I hope you’ve found this update useful. As I said, they’ll be much more frequent now; we have a great deal we’ll be needing to update you on in the coming months and I look forward to letting you know about the improvements to the MOT as we roll them out.
We’d also like to know what you want to hear about – let us know in the comments box.
]]>Earlier this month we made some improvements to our MOT digital services to make them easier for motorists and businesses to manage their MOT reminders, and to view all their MOT certificates in one place.
We also celebrated reaching 4 million sign ups to the MOT reminders service, over 10% of the vehicles that need an MOT.
Finding out what motorists think of our service
Despite the MOT reminders service scoring highly in our customer satisfaction surveys (around 90%) we always want to see if we can improve it. Feedback from customers started to show us what wasn’t working for them and what we could change.
This initial research highlighted several pain points and opportunities which then became our focus areas for the project. These were:
Digging deeper into the feedback
We began by carrying out a deeper analysis of the themes identified from the feedback. This really helped us understand the specific pain points within the themes and how big of a problem they were.
All of this told us that motorists’ biggest issues with the service were around our communication with the DVLA and the difficulty they had unsubscribing from the service:
Motorists also felt it was difficult to remember what reminders they’d signed up for and the some said they felt the content of the reminder came across as too threatening.
Developing our ideas to improve the service
Using this research, we wrote some clear user need statements to capture:
One of our highlights on the project was getting together with a range of different people from across DVSA to find some creative solutions for the issues identified by motorists. Seeing everyone come together to create a sea of coloured post-it notes all containing a range of varied ideas was amazing.
We went through all the ideas generated in the workshop and scored them by how much effort would be needed to deliver them against how much impact it would have on motorists. This allowed us to choose which ideas we would prioritise doing first, and which would form a backlog for us to look at later down the line.
Testing our idea with customers
The first idea we prioritised for development was giving customers the ability to view what MOT reminders they have signed up for and to make it easier for them to amend their reminders.
We built a prototype service, and then carried out some user testing to see what motorists thought. We carried out pop-up user testing in local MOT garages, asking members of the public to try out our prototype service and give us their feedback.
Overall it tested brilliantly, with comments on how “extremely simple” it was to use. We also got some great feedback to help us to tweak it further and get it ready for further development and launch.
Getting ready to launch
Our ‘Manage your reminders’ improvement to our MOT Reminder service went live on GOV.UK last month, giving motorists the ability to manage their current MOT reminders and remove any old ones they don’t want to receive anymore.
We’ve also improved the MOT reminder message itself to make the language less threatening and updated the feedback survey link. This will help us conduct monthly analysis on feedback responses and support further improvements to our services.
Thank you for your support over the last few weeks sharing our service improvements on social media and with your customers. It’s been really great to see you using our toolkit and images online.
Moving on to our next project
We’re now working on the development of our next idea - around how we can better use the data we receive every day from the DVLA to prompt customers to update their reminders when they sell or scrap a vehicle.
Working with another agency means it might take slightly longer to develop this, but we think it’s something that will really benefit motorists.
I hope it’s been useful to understand more about how we improve our services, the process we go through, and to highlight how important feedback is to our work and services.
Please let us know below in the comments if there’s any areas you think could be improved in our digital services and we can add these to our research list.
]]>The MOT test checks that your vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards.
MOTs are carried out by 60,000 privately employed MOT testers carrying out tests in around 23,000 testing stations in Great Britain. DVSA is responsible for regulating MOTs and their providers to ensure they are conducted to the correct standards.
Almost all the 30 million MOTs carried out annually are conducted to the appropriate standard.
For vehicles 3 or more years old, it is a roadworthiness safety net. While vehicles should be roadworthy all year round, the MOT test helps ensure your vehicle is not going to cause you, or other road users, harm.
Testament to the success of the test is how few mechanical issues lead to road accidents. Only 2% of road incidents are due to mechanical failings and we are proud of this proven tool that helps to keep Britain’s roads safe.
However, this hasn’t stopped people trying to cheat the system.
DVSA monitors the industry closely and acts on poor and fraudulent practice. This is through both proactive work and in response to reports from the public and official bodies.
Increasingly, we are discovering cases where vehicles aren’t even entering a garage but still being issued pass certificates. This is allowing potentially dangerous vehicles to be driving on Britain’s roads.
The latest technology and intelligence-based targeting allows us to track vehicle movements, meaning we know where vehicles are, and where they’re not. We can then compare this with MOT test data to ensure the right outcome
In 2021 to 2022 we saw 1324 total counts of MOT Fraud. 710 of those, were the most serious cases relating to dishonesty and negligence. To put this into perspective, in 2017 to 2018 there were less than half this figure (351). In these most serious cases, we’re able to use the full force of the law. In 2021 to 2022 we prosecuted 20 cases (involving 24 defendants) - a 900% increase from 2018 to 2019.
This may appear low in comparison to the total counts of fraud, but a number of individual cases may form part of a singular prosecution. It is these individuals we are targeting.
We can also ban people from testing. In 2021, we banned a total of 127 Authorised Examiners from running Vehicle Testing Stations, and 288 from the MOT scheme.
This included bans for 85 Authorised Examiner and 185 Tester cases relating to the most serious offences including dishonesty, and gross negligence.
We investigated Thornton-Granville of Mitcham, following a complaint about an MOT conducted on a vehicle in a shocking state of disrepair by member of the public.
An inspection of the vehicle revealed 21 faults, including missing brake pads and missing anti-roll bar. Corrosion on the car was so severe that the security of the body to the chassis was reduced by more than 50%, critically endangering the driver in any impact scenario. This led to a DVSA investigation. When presented with DVSA’s evidence the tester admitted and subsequently pleaded guilty to issuing 152 fraudulent MOT pass certificates at City of London Magistrates Court in March.
He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for the charges, suspended for 2 years on the condition he completes 240 hours unpaid work within that period and ordered to pay a contribution towards prosecution costs of £5,000.
138 vehicle MOT certificates issued by Thornton-Granville were cancelled and removed. This meant vehicle owners needed to complete a valid MOT test before their vehicle could return to the road.
Elsewhere, in Hampshire, Paul Rafferty, of Havant was given a prison sentence of 36 weeks in Worthing Magistrates Court on 28 February 2022 following a DVSA investigation. The sentence was suspended for 12 months for 47 falsely issued MOT certificates over a 3-month period.
Rafferty had been issuing the certificates despite the vehicles never entering the two garages he worked at in Petersfield, between November 2020 and January 2021.
All the MOTs of the 47 potentially dangerous vehicles were cancelled. The owners were warned that their vehicles must pass a legitimate MOT before they could return to the road. Rafferty was also given the full 5-year term ban from MOT testing.
We also wrote advisory letters to the owners of a further 113 vehicles who had received MOT certificates from Rafferty.
If you believe an MOT test or centre is committing fraud you can report them.
These cases demonstrate we will not allow qualified testers who we entrust to carry out MOTs to abuse a system designed to keep the public safe for their own personal gain.
We are fortunate to have so many compliant, trustworthy, and honest garages who deliver the MOT safely. We want to ensure they are not unfairly disadvantaged by the greed and criminality of the dangerous few individuals seeking to dupe the system.
The MOT test is designed to keep you and others safe. Don’t risk road safety, don’t cheat the system, choose a valid MOT.
]]>The role of a trained person to manage MOT garage activities was first introduced in 1995 and became known as the Authorised Examiner Designated Manager (AEDM) in 2005.
The AEDM’s role is really important, as they make sure that garages have the right approach and checks in place to maintain MOT test standards and procedures.
After consultation with the MOT industry, we’ve been working to make the responsibilities of the AEDM clearer.
As part of these changes, we’re also going to make the Authorised Examiner Principal (AEP) a formal role on the MOT testing service (MTS). New AEPs will get access to MTS for the first time and be able to see data relating to their Authorised Examiner (AE) and Vehicle Testing Station (VTS) records.
Making things clearer
We’re making changes to the AEDM position so it’s clearer what the AEDM is responsible for. This will help people that carry out the role to be more effective.
By making these changes, we’re recognising the importance of the AEDM role in the MOT service.
We know there is currently some confusion about who manages the AEDM role in a garage. It may be that the wrong person in the company has been trained for the job, or they’re not clear about what the role involves.
Some AEDMs are not accessing MTS, which means there are times when they’re not monitoring the MOT activities or they’re delegating the AEDM work to others.
This can lead to a lack of engagement by AEDMs, which affects the level of management and supervision in the MOT station.
Expanding who can be an AEDM
To address this, we’re changing the eligibility of the AEDM role. It can now be held by either:
This means that the AEDM no longer has to be an AEP, opening opportunities for more people to perform the AEDM role.
Better explanation of the AEDM role
We’ve updated the MOT testing guide to define the tasks and responsibilities of the AEDM role, as well as other roles in the MOT testing service.
We hope this will give you a clearer description of the roles and how they fit into the MOT testing service.
It’s important you have a look at these descriptions and familiarise yourself with them.
Action you may need to take
MOT garages who make a change to their approval (for example by adding or removing an AEP, or changing their AEDM) will need to complete a VT01 form.
Each AEP will also need to create a personal account on MTS.
Doing this will give the AEP access to MTS, which is a new feature we’re adding. AEPs will get to see data relating to their AE and VTS records.
Further changes
We’ll soon be consulting with the industry on further proposals for the development of the AEDM role. This will cover:
We’ll also look at how we can improve the other role descriptions in the MOT service. We’ll blog more about these upcoming changes in the next few months. In the meantime, please leave any questions you might have below and we’ll get back to you.
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