Member Article

NE + North Yorkshire car dealership assists with revealing MOT research

A Teesside and North Yorkshire-based car dealership has assisted with a new survey that reveals more than a quarter of motorists in the North East have driven without a valid MOT certificate.

The research was carried out by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) in partnership with car manufacturers and their dealer networks throughout the UK, including Simon Bailes Peugeot, as part of the industry’s ‘Minute Or Two’ initiative, which encourages motorists to carry out 10 simple vehicle checks before taking it for an MOT test.

The survey showed that 25.6% of motorists in the North East have driven a car without a valid MOT, while that figure is even higher at 27.4% for the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Across the UK, 10 million vehicle owners have driven with no MOT with men more likely than women to drive after the certificate has lapsed.

Drivers are now being offered a free 10-point visual inspection from Simon Bailes Peugeot before their MOT to help vehicles avoid failing the test due to simple-to-fix issues.

By driving without an MOT, motorists risk fines of up to £1,000, as well as potentially invalidating their motor insurance, which itself counts as a driving offence carrying between six to eight penalty points. Cars older than three years also require a valid MOT before they can be taxed – with further fines for motorists who drive an untaxed car.

Simon Bailes Peugeot, which has dealership in Stockton, Guisborough and Northallerton, is one of the manufacturer main dealers recommended by Peugeot and all of its MOT and service work is carried out by manufacturer-trained technicians using the highest-quality diagnostic equipment and fully-approved parts appropriate to each specific vehicle. Using a manufacturer main dealer also assures the customer that any required software updates will be carried out to keep the car running at its best.

Simon Bailes said: “To find out that a quarter of drivers have no MOT is really quite shocking- not to mention dangerous. It seems that a significant proportion of motorists forget their car’s MOT, risking safety, fines and penalty points. We guarantee our customers will benefit from the most highly-trained technicians, using the parts manufacturers recommend along with the best diagnostic equipment. By carrying out free pre-MOT checks, along with an MOT reminder service, we are helping drivers to avoid basic MOT test fails by spotting simple-to-fix problems before the MOT lapses.”

The full ‘Minute or Two’ checklist available on http://www.peugeot.co.uk/ includes checks of headlights, tyres, windscreen wipers and fluid levels.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Anna Addison Associates .