MOT rules for windscreens mean that your glass will be inspected for things like cracks, chips and scratches, as well as the condition of your wiper blades and your windscreen wiper fluid.

A windscreen scratch might not cause you to fail your MOT, but it’s important to note that windscreen scratches cannot be repaired. Many people try to polish the scratches on their windscreen – this may hide them somewhat, but the polishing can actually reduce the strength of the glass. If you notice a scratch on your windscreen, you will need to get your glass replaced as soon as you can.

You can fail your MOT because of your windscreen wipers, yes. Your windscreen wipers will fail your MOT if they are unable to clear your windscreen of dirt. A week or two before you take your car or vehicle for an MOT, test your wipers by dirtying your windscreen and seeing if they’re able to clean it.Your rear windscreen wipers are not part of the MOT, so you needn’t worry about them letting you down on the big day. However, you should ensure they’re working anyway for safety reasons, and have them repaired or replaced if they aren’t.

Windscreen washers can cause your vehicle to fail its MOT. If the washers are unable to supply enough cleaning fluid to the wipers, this can be grounds for failure. This washer failure can directly impact the windscreen wiper issue – if your washers don’t supply enough fluid, your wipers won’t be able to clean their screen, which is grounds for failure on its own.

An MOT certificate means that your car is safe and roadworthy. If your car fails an MOT, it will not be provided with a certificate until the relevant repairs have been undertaken and it has another MOT test.

Not only is driving without a valid MOT dangerous, but it also carries serious penalties. If you continue driving your car that has received a major fault in an MOT, you’ll receive a £1,000 fine. However, if the vehicle is deemed dangerous and you still drive it, the fine will be £2,500 and you could also receive penalty points and a driving ban.

The only circumstances in which you can drive a car that has failed an MOT is if your current certificate is still valid and no serious issues have been found.  

For every vehicle that is more than three years old, it’s a legal requirement to have an MOT each year. You can have an MOT any time you want, but the best time to get one is around one month before the expiry date of your existing certificate. This way, you can guarantee your new MOT certificate will last a full year.