50 Years Of The MoT

50 years ago the world was a very different place. The Cold War still divided the globe in half, a fresh faced Senator by the name of Kennedy had just put his name forward as a Presidential candidate and a four-piece band known as the Beatles had just formed in Liverpool.





Meanwhile, somewhat more mundanely, the British Ministry of Transport gave its name to a series of vehicle tests, officially known as the Ministry Of Transport Test. The Ministry of Transport has long gone but its legacy still survives as half a century later motorists still subject their cars to the rigours of an 'MoT'.





In the wake of the Second World War a large increase in car ownership occurred, a result of a huge surplus of army vehicles which were sold off as second hands. Though the majority of these newly decommissioned vehicles were free of bullet holes, they were far from being in peak condition.





Crucially though, there was no reason for a motorist to look after and properly service these vehicles. Often the first a person would know that their brakes were going was upon coming into close terms with a hedge, or worse. As such, the Ministry of Transport, under the direction of Mr Ernest Marples, introduced a series of yearly tests for all vehicles over 10 years old. This test was initially referred to as the "Ten Year Test".

The tests proved to be successful in fulfilling their brief of improving vehicle safety and this success saw the vehicle age progressively reduced from 10 to 3 years by April 1967. Initially these tests were quite simple, focusing on the lights, brakes and steering of the vehicle and were the equivalent of a basic check up.





Over time, this has developed to become the comprehensive examination with which we are now familiar; as tyres, seat belts and the condition of the vehicle structure are all subjected to sophisticated tests.





Nervous motorists await the outcome of these stringent tests hoping for a clean bill of health, but are often faced with a list which can range from the simple, such as windscreen replacement or the topping up of brake fluid, to the complex, such as the often dreaded oil leak.





What is certain is that the MoT has successfully helped improved road safety in Britain since its inception in 1960. When the test was initiated, car ownership in the country was at 9.4 million and the mortality rate on the roads was 6,970, currently car ownership stands at 34.2 million and the mortality rate is 2,500. The test has changed with the times and since 1991 its emission readings help in protecting not just other road users but the environment for us all.





So whilst the MoT has evolved with time in fulfilling its quest to ensure safer vehicles, its name remains the same, serving as a memento of its ground-breaking origin some 50 years ago!