Currently reading: Drivers told to book MOTs early a year on from Covid-19 extension
Some 330,000 three-year-old cars will need test in addition to thousands of cars checked after extension ended

Drivers in the UK have been urged to book MOT tests for their cars early, due to an expected surge in demand.

A six-month extension was granted during the first national lockdown last March so that drivers could continue to travel to collect essential items or to commute to work if their jobs couldn't be done from home. The extension ended in September 2020, meaning a surge in bookings is expected next month. 

A total of 328,041 new cars were sold in September 2018, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), and these will also require an MOT, as they've now reached the three-year threshold when the first test is due.

“A rise is highly likely, due to the fact we had the extension scheme in place for the pandemic and a lot of people will have pushed and taken advantage of that. There will be quite a lot of pressure on garages and MOTs to cope with the volume,” RAC fuel and road safety spokesman Simon Williams told Autocar. 

“I think the solution is to get on top of it now and actually make contact to see how your local garage is fairing and get booked in early." 

It’s possible to be fined up to £1000 for driving a car with a failed or non-valid MOT certificate, which must be received after three years of its original registration and then every following year. 

An MOT test involves the inspection of several areas of a driver’s car, including the brakes, lights, fuel system, mirrors, wipers and seatbelts.

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