Coronavirus: half of drivers will stick to MOT and service intervals

Half of drivers plan on getting their car serviced and MOT’d as normal, despite Coronavirus.

New research from the RAC has revealed that 44% of drivers plan to get their car MOT’d in line with the original expiry date, rather than taking advantage of the automatic six-month extension.

A similar number (47%) said they will still get their car serviced, despite any lockdown restrictions.

That means, however, that a similar number of vehicles will be on the road without proper maintenance or checks.

Head of RAC Motoring Services Adam O’Neill said: “Since the coronavirus lockdown took effect, hundreds of thousands of vehicles every month have been missing their normal MOTs and in turn there’s a risk that more unroadworthy cars are now on our roads, especially as many more of us are now driving compared to March.

“It’s encouraging therefore to see that a large proportion of people we surveyed clearly care about the condition of their cars and aren’t being put off from getting them through their MOTs or serviced as normal.”

Just one-in-10 drivers (14%) surveyed by the RAC said they will make full use of the extra six months added to MOT due dates.

Of those drivers who don’t plan on using the full MOT extension, half (52%) said it is because they want to ensure essential safety checks are made at the right time, while 40% are confident their cars are in good working order and want them to pass their MOTs as soon as possible.

Of those who do plan on making use of the full six-month MOT extension, 83% said it is because they are confident in the roadworthiness of their vehicle.

Of all the drivers surveyed, more than a quarter (27%) said they weren’t even aware of the MOT extension in the first place.

“Every driver must remember that the safety and roadworthiness of their vehicle remains their responsibility. For those planning on making full use of the six-month MOT extension, it’s vital that if they believe something isn’t right with their car, or that they know it’s unlikely to pass an MOT if it took place tomorrow, they should take it in for repairs as soon as possible and not drive it in the meantime,” O’Neill added.

Brake and Green Flag have teamed up to raise awareness of the importance if regularly checking and maintaining a vehicle.

The charity and breakdown cover provider are asking all drivers to perform regular ‘walk-round’ checks of their vehicle, once a week and before any long journeys.

In survey of more than 2,000 UK drivers, the two companies revealed that more than 14 million license holders are checking the safety of their vehicle just once a year or less, including one in ten of all UK drivers who admit that they never perform vehicle safety checks.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns at Brake, said: “We urge all drivers to perform regular ‘walk-round’ checks of their vehicle, once a week and before any long journeys – it is a couple of minutes which could be the difference between life and death. If you have any suspicion at all that something is not right with your car, do not drive it and consult a professional.”

Brake and Green Flag are asking all drivers to perform regular ‘walk-round’ checks of their vehicle, once a week and before any long journeys.

They recommend the following items are checked:

Tyre tread wear
Tyre pressure
General tyre condition
Lights are working
Oil, water and fluids
Wiper blades
Wheel fixings

Dean Keeling managing director of Green Flag, said: “Driving a faulty car is a huge issue. Not only is it likely to be illegal but it is dangerous for you, your passengers and other road users. Ignoring a vehicle part that needs fixing is likely to make things worse, ending up costing more money in the long run.”