Commercial vehicles get 10 times more prohibitions three months after MOT

The latest data shows commercial vehicles are issued 10 times more prohibitions three months after their annual test (MOT), according to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). And the highlighted examples includes tyres worn to the cords.

DVSA examiners encountered a concerning 25 percentage point increase in prohibitions compared to the first month after an MOT. According to the DVSA, this indicates that some vehicles are not being adequately maintained following their test.

The data also shows that more than 60 per cent of HGV prohibition defects found at the roadside three months after the MOT could have been reported and fixed before beginning a journey or noticed when driving the vehicle. Specific reasons given include: inadequate walk around checks and defect reporting systems; drivers ignoring faults and dash warnings; lack of vehicle breakdown support; operators being unable to access repair facilities in between safety inspections; and third party maintenance providers not performing their duties effectively.

“If we check the vehicle at the roadside and find this type of fault, the vehicle will receive an immediate prohibition and the driver could get a fixed penalty”, the DVSA report commented, adding: “We want to avoid so many cases of this happening in the future as it is a waste of your time and resources to bring in a vehicle which will fail the test.”

The kinds of cases the DVSA referred include general maintenance such as: a broken mandatory mirror; a head lamp not working at night as well as tyre and wheel specific issues such as “tyre cut to its cords”.

In short, the DVSA summarised: “We want to remind all operators to prioritise vital vehicle maintenance and ensure they are legal and roadworthy all year round. This includes checking you are getting what you pay for from third party maintenance providers.”