MILLIONS of British motorists are carrying out frantic online searches relating to the vital MOT safety test and simple vehicle checks and repairs, according to research.
So experts at two Scottish-based automotive web services – GoodBye Car and CarMoney – are now providing answers to the most common internet questions.
It is estimated that 29 per cent of Brits fail to renew their MOT on time, which can be both dangerous and result in fines and licence penalty points.
GoodBye Car’s team found the most popular question – with an average of 57,562 requests each month – was: When is my MOT due? There were also 7754 who similarly asked: Is my car MOT’d?
An easy way to discover the answer is to use the Gov.uk online MOT Status Checker, where you can find out simply by entering your vehicle’s registration plate number.
Some 11,252 people wanted to know how long the test takes. On average, it will be between 45 to 60 minutes from start to finish but it’s advisable to plan to be without your car for the day in case of any problems.
There were also 11,050 inquiries about how much an MOT costs. That can vary but maximum fees are £54.85 for a car and £39.65 for a standard motorcycle, rising £124.50 for vehicles with more than 16 passenger seats.
Meanwhile, 6422 searchers were curious to know: What does MOT stand for? It’s an abbreviation for the Ministry of Transport (now the Department for Transport), which created the test in the first place.
There were a further 4397 searches asking what an MOT was and another 1743 quizzing what gets checked. The annual test is designed to ensure that vehicles are legally roadworthy in terms of safety and environmental standards.
All sorts of parts are scrutinised, including the vehicle bodywork, lights, tyres, windscreen and wipers, seats, seat belts and airbags, brakes, steering, suspension and exhaust system.
Crucially, there were 1233 people who wanted to know if you can drive without an MOT.
The answer is that you are only allowed to drive directly to the MOT test garage if it has expired and nowhere else. By driving without an MOT, you are invalidating your insurance, could be fined up to £1000 and have your vehicle impounded.
The CarMoney experts have identified the five most Googled car maintenance queries in 2021 to come up with helpful tips.
“What should my tyre pressure be?” was searched by motorists 36,000 times. Low tyre pressure is dangerous because it can cause a blowout – which can be fatal at high speeds, so regularly checks with a gauge are vital.
You’ll be able to find out what pressure you should have in your tyres from the vehicle handbook or a small sticker either on the driver’s door edge or in the fuel filler flap.
There are 20,400 searches a year for “how to check tyre tread”. The legal minimum has to be above 1.6mm. If you insert a 20p into the groove of the tyre and the outer rim of the coin is visible, the tread is too low and a new tyre is required.
“How to change windscreen wipers” is looked up 5400 times annually and CarMoney says it is vital to replace damaged wipers to avoid potentially causing a crash in difficult conditions.
Other popular searches related to oil levels and changes and it is important to check the engine isn’t running low on oil and adhere to recommended servicing intervals.
Removing car windscreen scratches also got 1200 hits and, if they are not too bad, you might be able to fix them using special polish and microfibre cloths without the need to call for professional help.
CarMoney’s Andrew Marshall said: “Keeping on top of car maintenance can feel like a chore but, if you don’t take care of issues quickly, they could prove dangerous and costly.”
