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MAY 2011 ISSUE 50

Keep yourself up to date

Changes to the MOT test
ue...
Changes to the MOT test page 6

iss Inside this

Braking away page 5

Spotlight on MOT seminars 2011 page 12

Contents
3
Ask Stevo
Stevo talks you through the site assessment process

News
MOT test review, Motorcycle MOT test refresher training, Class 5L training and Nominated Tester Training Assessment

From the editor

After travelling the length and breadth of the country to deliver this years round of MOT seminars (on top of our day jobs), were taking a deep breath before gearing up for our next adventure. The seminars have proved their value yet again, giving us the chance to keep you updated about forthcoming changes and challenges to the MOT test, and giving you the chance to tell us whats on your minds. The question at the very top of your agenda this year was Why isnt VOSA supporting a xed MOT fee or opposing changes to the frequency of MOT testing? Well, on page 12 we explain our position on both of these matters, as well as giving the answers to a few of the other popular questions put to us. Youll also discover that this issue of Matters of Testing is arranged a little differently than usual, as weve given over several pages to a review of some of the changes coming to the MOT test as a result of the European Commission Testing Directive with more to come in future issues! Keep up to date with Matters of Testing.

Bikes, trikes and quads

Braking away hydraulic parking brakes no longer acceptable for quad bikes

6
6 Changes to the MOT test
A look at how the European Commission Testing Directive will affect MOT testing in the years ahead

11

Horror story
Shake it all about; ropey brakes

12

Spotlight on
MOT seminars a round-up of this years events

13

13

The knowledge
Taking a closer look at spring assisters and using VSI

Jessie VanBeck
14
Keep your comments, rants, opinions and ideas coming in to: The Editor Matters of Testing VOSA, Berkeley House Croydon Street Bristol BS5 0DA or email: mattersoftesting@vosa.gov.uk You can view this magazine, along with previous issues, as a PDF on the VOSA website: www.vosa.gov.uk/ matters-of-testing

T-brake
Test your thinking with a teaser

Your MoT team Editorial Team Jessie VanBeck, Ian Marsh, Alan Wilson, John Stephenson, Andy Cattell MOT Team John Corcoran, Shaun Martin, Dougie Brandon, Steve Kendall, Mark Bennett, Russell Hall

Distribution If you have any problems with or queries about distribution, please contact the editor at mattersoftesting@vosa.gov.uk Produced by COI on behalf of VOSA (ref 405742) on 50% recycled paper.

Editorial ofce VOSA, 2nd Floor, Berkeley House, Croydon Street, Bristol BS5 0DA While great care has been taken to ensure accuracy, VOSA and the editorial team cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions. The content of this publication should not be reproduced without the consent of the editor.

Ask Stevo
Site assessments

OPINION

You ask: As a busy test station carrying out a considerable number of MOT tests each day, we nd that the VOSA site assessment usually disrupts our planned working day. Why cant site assessments be carried out by appointment?

Stevo says: Site assessments are VOSAs way of gauging the normal day-to-day operation of a testing station. The assessment uses a standard set of questions to ensure a consistent approach, and the results help us to direct our resources more effectively towards sites at higher risk of non-compliance. If we were to make appointments, examiners and testers would be able to prepare for our visit and the conditions would not reect the normal day-to-day operation of the site. We really dont need you to put on a special show for us we recognise that you are running a business, which is why (wherever possible) we try to minimise the disruption by discussing our requirements with you and your staff at the start of the visit. On occasion, we can conduct as much of the assessment as is possible at the time and arrange to return at a more convenient time to complete it but in these circumstances, any results from the initial visit will stand.

You can take steps to minimise the impact of a visit by making sure that youre familiar with the site assessment requirements and that the documents the VOSA examiner might need to see are easy to nd. Any of you who attended seminars earlier this year will already know that we have trialled and reviewed a revised site assessment. The revised process will be rolled out from the beginning of June and will contain new questions based on the show me rather than tell me principle. We have also trimmed down the number of questions, which should help to reduce the time needed to complete a site assessment.

Keep yourself up to date with site assessments at www.businesslink.gov.uk/vtsselfassessment

John Stephenson heads up the MOT Compliance team and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in all aspects of the MOT scheme. Send your comments, queries and views on the MOT to mattersoftesting@vosa.gov.uk with Ask Stevo as the subject.

MOT test enquiries can be made through our contact centre: 0300 123 9000

Matters of Testing | 3

NEWS

MOT test review

The Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned research from Transport Research Laboratory to look at the likely impact of changing the frequency of the MOT test on accident and casualty rates. Transport Secretary Philip Hammond says: Car technology has come a long way since the 1960s when our MOT regime was introduced. Thats why we think its right to look again to check whether we still have the right balance of MOT testing for modern vehicles. Further information on any consultation about a review of MOT testing frequency will be published by DfT and in future editions of Matters of Testing. DfT is looking to work with the industry and motorists to get the decision absolutely right.

Visit www.trl.co.uk to download the Transport Research Laboratory report Effect of vehicle defects in road accidents. Search under the reference PPR565 to nd the report.

Refresh your motorcycle MOT tester

April saw the activation of the automated VTS Device lock-out of testers who are overdue for their motorcycle refresher training which brought them in line with testers of all other classes. Motorcycle testers will now get 180-day and 30-day warnings via the VTS Device. Testers needing refresher training are reminded to book early via the VTS Device. Leaving it to the last minute may mean having to travel to a less convenient venue to attend the training in order to avoid being locked out. Call the VOSA contact centre on 0300 123 9000 for further information about MOT training courses.

Class 5L training
If youve been keeping up with the news, youll already be aware that last July we began to trial a different method of training Class 4 and 7 testers to test the additional Class 5L. This consists of on-site training followed by a written assessment and a practical demonstration test by the candidate, and has resulted in immediate activation for the vast majority of cases of testers for Class 5L. At the time of going to print, over 180 testers have been processed via this route. After some extremely positive reviews, we are now in the process of evaluating the trial so watch this space!

Nominated Tester Training Assessment

Back in the early 1990s, the Nominated Tester Training Assessment (NTTA) was designed as an interim measure to allow prospective MOT testers without industry qualications to demonstrate their knowledge of motor vehicle technology. Take-up started at around 200300 applicants via this route each year, but has now reached unmanageable proportions. These days, around 1,500 candidates apply for the NTTA each year, of whom an average of 45% fail. So, VOSA is taking a fresh look at the route to becoming a tester, to make sure that applicants have the necessary skills and experience.

4 | MOT computerisation enquiries can now be made through the VOSA service desk: 0845 071 1973

BIKES, TRIKES AND QUADS

Braking away
British law specically the Construction and Use Regulations requires that vehicles are parked using a brake applied by mechanical means. Parking brakes that rely on hydraulic stored energy are not permitted, but because some all-terrain vehicle quads were EU type-approved, they were accepted at MOT test unless they were proven as unsafe.
Most parking brake mechanisms use mechanical components such as cables and heavy duty springs. There are some concerns that brakes using stored hydraulic pressure are at risk of uid seepage, leading to system pressure loss and release of the parking brake resulting in the vehicle rolling away.

Communicating the change

VOSA has written to all known manufacturers and importers of quads tted with hydraulic parking brakes to advise them to recall these vehicles for re-working. All current registered keepers of quads have also been written to, to alert them of the potential safety risk.

required in the future. Now that all road-going quads must have mechanical parking brakes installed, owners should be referred to the manufacturer or importer of their particular machine for advice. If a quad is tted with both a hydraulic parking brake and a transmission lock (on automatic-type transmissions), then the transmission lock counts as a mechanical parking brake and the vehicle should pass at MOT test. Owners of such vehicles should be advised to disable the hydraulic locking mechanism in order to prevent future owners from relying on hydraulic pressure to hold the vehicle. It is possible that some quad owners affected by this change have managed to slip through the communications net, in which case they are not likely to be impressed when their quad is failed at its next MOT test. Please advise these customers to call our contact centre on 0300 123 9000, where a member of staff will explain the circumstances to them. However, if you have any quads on your books, why not take the initiative and contact the owner before they bring it in for an MOT test, to make sure theyre aware of the change in requirements for their vehicle?
Matters of Testing | 5

Going downhill
The Department for Transport instructed the Vehicle Certication Agency responsible for type approval to investigate the safety of these hydraulic parking brake systems. Their ndings, supported by independent Transport Research Laboratory testing, have established that these systems do carry a risk. During tests of four vehicles tted with hydraulic braking systems, three rolled away after having been parked on an incline. The fourth vehicle showed a pressure loss in the parking brake system, indicating that the system would eventually fail. As you will have read in Special Notice 2-2011, VOSA is withdrawing the temporary exemption introduced in SN 8-2006 that allowed these braking systems a pass at MOT test. From 1 June 2011, quad bikes relying entirely on hydraulic braking systems must be failed at MOT test.

Owners wishing to register a quad that has a hydraulic parking brake with the DVLA will be refused. The DVLA will not accept registration until the vehicle has been re-worked with a mechanical brake and has been certied by VOSA under the Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval scheme.

Going mechanical
Special Notices issued in 2006 and 2008 asked MOT test station staff to advise owners of quads with hydraulic parking brakes that a mechanical brake could be

MOT test enquiries can be made through our contact centre: 0300 123 9000

FEATURE

Changes to the MOT test

Back in 2009, the European Commission introduced a Directive to standardise vehicle testing across member states. Over the last two years, VOSA has been working to nd practical ways to build these changes into the annual test while keeping the burden on the trade to a minimum. Here, weve summarised just some of the changes occurring under the Brakes and Steering sections of the MOT inspection manual. Well provide information on more of the changes in future issues of Matters of Testing.
It was clear from the start that building the terms of the European Commission Testing Directive into the MOT test was always going to lead to some additional burden on testing stations and the motorist. To keep this burden to a minimum, the team at VOSA put together some key principles to bear in mind when delivering the change: keep to a minimum any increase in the time it takes to complete the MOT test keep to a minimum any need for additional test equipment keep to a minimum the need to test any additional items on any given class of vehicle. The minimum requirements for an MOT test or Periodic Technical Inspection, as they say on the continent have long been enshrined in European law. Every member state of the European Union has an equivalent of the MOT test, and the new standards apply to everyone. The legislation applies to trucks, buses, cars and light goods vehicles, but not to motorcycles. A number of compulsory new testable items will be introduced, mainly as a result of all the electronic safety systems tted to modern vehicles. Most of the changes must be brought in by the end of 2011, although some such as the requirements around brake efciency and imbalance will be delayed until September 2013.

6 | MOT computerisation enquiries can now be made through the VOSA service desk: 0845 071 1973

FEATURE

Changes to the MOT inspection manual Section 2 (Steering)

Steering control
The law requires that vehicles are tted with some sort of anti-theft mechanism as minimum security protection. Commonly, this is achieved by use of steering locks, transmission locks or gearshift locks. Where a steering lock mechanism is tted as standard, testers must now check if one is present and operational.

More changes to Class 5 testing will be covered in a later edition of Matters of Testing, so watch this space!

Suspension, wheel bearings and drive shafts

Testers should be careful to consider the guidance in the information column and the introduction section of the MOT inspection manual before rejecting any modied or repaired suspension components. But to make life easier, the team at VOSA has replaced all the RfRs for unacceptable repairs with a single RfR. You are already checking all front drive shafts and those at the rear that form part of the suspension. As a result of the Directive, you will also have to check, where tted, support bearings for excessive wear, and drive shaft inner coupling gaiters that are missing. The RfR for gaiters has also been changed to cover all aspects of the gaiter failing to keep the dirt out. Front to rear propshafts still remain outside the scope of the test.

Power steering
Checks to power steering will now include a check of the uid level. But because there is no need to remove the reservoir cap, the check will only apply where the uid level is visible in the reservoir. Any inappropriate repair or modication to a power steering component will result in a failure so a pair of tights in place of the drive belt will not be acceptable! The serious misalignment or fouling of power steering components is also an RfR. The inspection of uid pipes for damage and fouling will now also include excessive corrosion. If a malfunction indicator lamp tted to warn the driver of a problem with electronic power steering is illuminated, indicating a failure in the system, this will be an RfR.

Steering system
Before the days of MOT Computerisation, many testers incorrectly failed steering and suspension ball joints if the dust cover was split or missing. Well, thanks to the Directive, these items will be included in the test so if a ball joint dust cover is missing or no longer keeps the dirt out, testers will be able to correctly fail the vehicle. Sub-section 2.2D covers the steering lock-to-lock check, and will now also cover any signicant oil leaks from the steering box and whether any tted as standard steering lock stops are missing. This is more likely to affect those of you testing larger Class 5 vehicles, as not too many light vehicles are tted with external lock stops.

MOT test enquiries can be made through our contact centre: 0300 123 9000

Matters of Testing | 7

FEATURE FEA TURE

Some forthcoming changes to the MOT test

This diagram shows you some of the changes that VOSA proposes to make to the MOT test in 2012.

Continuity of towbar 13 pin electric socket Inappropriate towbar repairs or modications

Gas leak detection spray to conrm the existence of a leak

Rear passenger doors opening All door hinges, catches and pillars

Inappropriate brake system repairs or modications Catalytic converter missing Defective ABS or ESC components

8 | MOT computerisation enquiries can now be made through the VOSA service desk: 0845 071 1973

FEATURE

Front and rear lights single operation Main beam warning light Steering lock mechanism Illumination of malfunction indicator light (MIL) for electronic power steering, electronic stability control, electronic park brake control, brake uid warning lamp, tyre pressure monitoring system and air bag/ pre-tensioner Drivers seat adjustment Speedometer

Headlamp cleaning and self-levelling if high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps are tted Products on the lens that reduce light output

Steering joint dust covers Inappropriate steering repairs or modications Battery and wiring Power steering oil level Damaged or corroded power steering pipes or hose Engine mountings Steering lock stops Steering box oil leakage Inappropriate suspension repairs or modications Drive shaft support bearings and coupling gaiters

MOT test enquiries can be made through our contact centre: 0300 123 9000

Matters of Testing | 9

FEATURE

Changes to the MOT test (continued)

Changes to the MOT inspection manual Section 3 (Brakes)
Parking brake lever mechanism and associated mountings
Electronic parking brake (EPB) controls have been added to this section, and testers will have to make sure that all parking brake controls have not been inappropriately repaired or modied. The team at VOSA has dened this as when the repair is obviously likely to adversely affect the roadworthiness of the vehicle or if any modication has seriously weakened the component. If the vehicle is tted with an EPB, testers must also check that the EPB warning lamp does not indicate a fault. common to both systems), electrical wiring, the ESC switch, and the presence and operation of the ESC malfunction indicator lamp. operation of braking system components have been added. Checks for inappropriate repairs or modications to braking system components will also be included. As well as brake valves, subsection 3.6E will contain additional checks on load-sensing valves. Originally only checking the linkage, testers will now need to check if the valve itself is also: seized or inoperative defective so that its function is impaired incorrectly adjusted. Testers already check the brake uid level but the brake uid warning lamp being illuminated or inoperative will be a new RfR.

Mechanical brake components

Additional checks of the security of brake cables, rods and joints must be made and testers should fail any mechanical brake component if it has been inappropriately repaired or modied. The condition and operation of brake slack adjusters usually only tted to very large vehicles with air braking systems should also be checked.

Service brake control

As before, testers will be asked to check that the control has not been inappropriately repaired or modied.

Brake performance
Another new RfR coming in at the end of 2011 is if, during a decelerometer test, the vehicle deviates from a straight line when the parking brake is applied.

Anti-lock braking systems

Also included under this section are checks to any electronic stability control (ESC) system tted called variously ESC, Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), etc. To take account of the additional item, the section has been renamed Anti-lock Braking and Electronic Stability Control Systems. The new checks will cover the condition of ABS/ESC components (which are generally

Braking systems and additional braking devices

To avoid the repetition of certain checks that apply to a number of sub-sections, the team at VOSA has changed the title of subsection 3.6A of the inspection manual from Leaks to All Braking Systems. Leaks will still be part of this sub-section, but checks on the security, condition and

These are just a few of the changes that will be introduced as a result of the European Commission Testing Directive keep reading Matters of Testing to stay up to date with changes to the Brakes and Steering and other sections of the inspection manual.

10 | MOT computerisation enquiries can now be made through the VOSA service desk: 0845 071 1973

YOU TELL US

Horror Story
Two tales of torment

Shake it all about

The rst of our horror stories comes from Neil and Paul Gleave of E Maund and Sons at the High Street Garage in Wem, Shropshire. Its the upper arm on a P reg Hiace van not photographs this time, but a video clip sent by iPhone. Video clips are not always that clear, but our IT bods (we do have some!) have isolated a couple of stills which show the extent of movement. If you look closely, you can see that in Fig.1 there is hardly any gap between the upper arm and the wheel rim, while in Fig. 2 it is quite evident. You can also see the gap around the ball joint itself. Neil and Paul were able to show this just by shaking the wheel manually and to prove a point it promptly fell apart when jacked. Cant get much more worn than that! Its quite relevant that the ball joint boot is practically non-existent. This may have helped to accelerate wear in the ball joint. Weve been asked many times if the boots are testable. Well, if you attended an MOT seminar this year, youll know that they will be when the new European Commission Testing Directive is implemented next year. Well keep you posted in the usual way.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Ropey brakes
Our second story is from John Rowan of Springbank Service Station in the lowlands of Scotland. Unusual place to stow the tow rope, isnt it?! A costly one, too, as its destroyed the CV boot and more than likely had a hand in the ropey brakes caused by uid leak from the exi. The tow hook must have made a bit of noise, as must the worn ball joint in the rst horror story. But as usual the drivers were blissfully unaware until the MOT test, that is!

Have you got a horror story to tell? Send your photos and ghastly tales to the postal address at the front of the magazine or by email to mattersoftesting@vosa.gov.uk with the subject Horror Story.

MOT test enquiries can be made through our contact centre: 0300 123 9000

Matters of Testing | 11

SPOTLIGHT

Spotlight on MOT seminars 2011

Well, another round of seminars has come to a close. It has been a fantastic experience to come out and speak with nearly 6,000 of you. The theme for this years seminars was All change, not only because we changed the way in which we present the seminars, but also because the MOT test itself is undergoing some signicant changes. From your feedback, you seemed to prefer the opportunity to quiz our panel more often during the quick question session after each section of the presentation including the three gents who told us it was the rst year they hadnt dozed off thanks! The seminars covered changes to the site assessments and to MOT Computerisation, with a glimpse of what MOT Comp may look like in 2015. We also discussed the European Commission Testing Directive and what that will mean for the MOT test. The most common items that came up were: visual check on the 7 pin socket, as it may fail under another new item wiring. integrity putting the obligations of public service above personal interests honesty being truthful and open objectivity basing advice and decisions on rigorous analysis of the evidence impartiality acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving governments of different political parties equally well. So, when a Minister announces an intention to review a matter of policy, it is not for VOSA to support or oppose an argument but to provide any evidence requested and to deliver whatever the Government decides. There are three elements to the decision-making process supporting the MOT test:

Plain paper certicates

Surely a plain paper certicate makes it easier to forge? Actually, the legal record of the MOT test is stored in the database, not on the piece of paper. Customers should always be advised to check their vehicles MOT status and history online at www.direct.gov.uk/mot

Fixed fees and testing frequency

A few of you gave us a real beating because you thought we werent supporting you enough to introduce a xed MOT fee or to oppose changes to the frequency of MOT testing. What surprised us was that you thought we would be able to! It seems that there is a bit of confusion about where VOSA ts into the grand scheme of things, and what we are and arent able to do. Even though we are a progressive and business-like organisation, we are also civil servants. This means that we are obliged to demonstrate certain values:

the EU Parliament/Commission the UK Parliament/Department for Transport VOSA. This is the pecking order in which decisions are made and implemented. VOSA will provide evidence to the Department for Transport and Ministers so that their decisions are always as fully informed as possible. But VOSA has no formal view on the frequency of testing or on the adoption of a xed MOT fee. This is rmly the responsibility of the Government. VOSA, as part of the Civil Service, has to remain neutral in order to deliver the Governments policies.

Trailer sockets
The Directive only requires a check of the trailer electrical socket. However, you may need to do a

12 | MOT computerisation enquiries can now be made through the VOSA service desk: 0845 071 1973

HOT TIPS

The knowledge
Spring assisters and bump stops
Quite a few van manufacturers use spring assisters to support the base spring, especially on models which have low load heights or are usually run full or part loaded. Typical examples include motor homes, which use the basic chassis/cab with quite a heavy body, and vehicles such as the tool van, which always have a fair amount of heavy stock on board. Spring assisters are usually either extra leaves (more common to heavy goods vehicles) or rubber/ polyurethane cones also known as Aeon springs (more common on the types of vans we see for MOT testing). Both types act by stiffening the suspension once deection of the base spring reaches a certain point, affording maximum comfort whether the vehicle is empty or loaded. On vans, the preferred method is to use a rubber cone, which keeps unladen weight down and allows a low load height. These cones look like oversized rubber bump stops but work in a different way. The centre of the cone is hollow (see Fig. 1) and when the suspension oscillates, the rubber compresses effectively dampening the spring oscillation. The compression rate is progressive until eventually at full load the cone is fully compressed and then acts as a bump stop. When the suspension rebounds, the cone decompresses and re-forms to its natural shape. Because of their size and design characteristics, these cones may sit very close to or even on the base spring (see Fig. 2), yet the suspension appears to be in its normal running position. This is, in fact, a design feature but some testers interpret it as a failure under IM 2.4A1: inadequate clearance between bump stop and chassis or a suspension unit so weak that the body or other part of the vehicle fouls a road wheel or would do so if the vehicle was laden. Before failing a vehicle under this RfR, testers should rst determine if a spring assister is tted, and whether the suspension really is so weak that the body would foul a road wheel.

Using Vehicle Specic Information (VSI)

Fig. 1 Fig. 2 When registering a vehicle for test, some makes and models appear not to be on VSI. This is because VSI checks against how the vehicle is registered on the DVLA database, not the manufacturer databases. The most common examples are vehicles registered as MPV instead of estate (or vice versa) and manufacturers registered as Jeep instead of Chrysler-Jeep. If you have problems nding the correct category for the vehicle you are testing, exit and then reselect VSI. Although this means starting from scratch, you should get all the makes and models you need. If you still cant nd what you are looking for, try the VOSA service desk on 0845 071 1973.

Watch this space for more information on recent changes to the inspection manual. View the MOT inspection manual online at www.vosa.gov.uk/manuals-and-guides.

MOT test enquiries can be made through our contact centre: 0300 123 9000

Matters of Testing | 13

T-BRAKE

60-second
INTERVIEW
Andy Cattell is VOSAs Vehicle Standards Manager and is in charge of making sure that the items covered by the UKs vehicle inspections comply with the European Commissions directive on vehicle testing.

DVD review
The Directors Cut
Welcome to another MOT Matters DVD. As you know, things can change quickly in the MOT scheme and information can go out of date fast. Thats why periodically we take the time to review the DVDs we have issued so far to ensure that the information they contain is relevant and up to date. This edition is entitled Back Catalogue 3. This and Back Catalogue 2 contain all the information you need from previous DVDs which makes these the only DVDs you need to keep. The next DVD will cover more of the changes required by the new European Commission Testing Directive. Please bear in mind that we had to sit through every lm weve ever made to whittle down the material for this back catalogue so get yourself a coffee and a box of popcorn, sit back and enjoy our latest motion picture extravaganza! If youd like to suggest a topic for future lms, email mattersoftesting@ vosa.gov.uk with the subject MOT Matters DVD, or send a postcard to the Editor at the address at the front of this magazine.
MOT Matters
DV71 Crown Copyright 2011

How long have you been working for VOSA? Ive been here for 26 years I started as a Vehicle Examiner, then worked on various projects. About three years ago I started working on test standards for trucks and buses. Then, six months ago, MOT test standards for smaller vehicles were built into my remit, so that VOSA now has one standards manager for all vehicle inspections. How challenging is it to make sure that our own technical inspections for all vehicle classes meet the standards of the Testing Directive? The real challenge is in making sure that the standards written in the legislation are translated into practical solutions for testers. But its also a real opportunity to use processes that have been tried and tested in one scheme to benet the other.

Whats the best part of the job? Meeting front-line people at this years MOT seminars I had to face about 100 people to explain why were putting ball joint dust covers in the test but not propshafts. If I cant explain it clearly so that people can understand, I have to start asking myself why Im doing it in the rst place. and the worst? Theres not enough time. Never enough time! How do you unwind at the end of the day? Ive stopped taking the job home with me its great to be able to sit down with my wife and have a conversation thats not about my work.

Back Catalogue 3: 2009-10

VOSA national enquiries: 0300 123 9000 www.vosa.gov.uk

On the job
An enquiry recently received from Spain:

I live in the Alicante region of Spain and have a 30-foot American motor home. The MOT certicate has run out and I need a new one to be able to continue to use it. My problem is that to bring it back to England would be extremely expensive, fuel-wise, at around 1,000 for the trip. Now, I realise it is not legally correct, but is there any way you could issue me with a certicate without seeing the

vehicle? I do not intend to drive it in the UK I just need to have the papers in case I am stopped here in Spain. I had intended to import the vehicle, but this is proving to be a little complicated and could take up to a year, which leaves me unable to use it at the moment. If you cannot help, do you know of another garage that might be able to? All the best.

The gentleman even attached contact details! Those of you who attended the MOT seminars earlier this year may recall that the EU is considering mutual recognition of test certicates across member states at least then this chap would be able to send a local letter and save on postage!

14 | MOT computerisation enquiries can now be made through the VOSA service desk: 0845 071 1973

T-BRAKE

Competition
Can you nd the 15 Spanish-themed words on this grid? Send your answers, along with your name, address and VTS number by 30 June 2011 to Competition, Matters of Testing, VOSA, Berkeley House, Croydon Street, Bristol BS5 0DA.
BARCELONA BENIDORM BULLFIGHT COLUMBUS FIESTA FLAMENCO GAUDI GOYA MADRID MATADOR PAELLA PICASSO RIOJA SIESTA TAPAS

P B B E C P A C N A C E P T T E I F A I G H T H G I I F L L U B I A E A N S O S N S S L P E A U

T A P A S R T N I J E O I R I I I

S H M M B L A T M C O S D F A R L M S P E L B E A R U L N A A I

The rst correct entry drawn will win 20 of vouchers that can be used at most high street stores.

E A D F B O L C F S S M D O R M G I I G I I J U A O S S A C L U I O I P N

L P R B E N

Youve won! The winner of last issues competition is Natalie Collins of Hampton Hill Crash Repair in Hampton, Middlesex. Congratulations, Natalie the vouchers are winging their way to you!

D T O L O Y A G U T A E

D U A G T

D G A U D Y S G P M B M

MOT test enquiries can be made through our contact centre: 0300 123 9000

Matters of Testing | 15

A week in testing
A week is a long time in MOT testing and using the MOT Comp database, weve pulled out some statistics to show you exactly how hard you work.
The busiest day for MOT testing last year was 29 March, when 132,727 tests were carried out. In fact, March was one of the busiest months of 2010, containing 8 of the 10 busiest test days of the year. You carried out 151 tests on New Years Day 2010, but only a paltry 29 on Christmas Day what were you all doing? There are also some interesting conclusions to be reached when looking at statistics for the working week:

I dont like Mondays seems to be the popular mood among testers, as most vehicles were failed immediately after the weekend particularly Class 7s, especially if theyre white! Every Tuesday, Class 1 failures are highest.

Wednesdays are the busiest days for Class 5 tests.

Any given Thursday, Class 4 nal results including PRS are most likely to fail.

Friday Im in love with Class 1 tests, but Class 2 failures peak

on this day of the week. Class 4s drive in Saturday as the most likely class to pass.

Sunday morning Class 3s are coming down, with only ve

tests undertaken, although all of them passed!

Please note these statements are based on gures provided for normal tests only unless otherwise stated, they do not include Pass after Rectication at Station (PRS), abandoned or aborted tests. None of the data takes into consideration the age, mileage or maintenance of the vehicle.