Your fog lights could cause an instant MOT fail - and it's a simple mistake that's easily avoided.
Under UK law, vehicles must undergo an annual check to make sure they remain roadworthy, with a fine of up to £1,000 for driving without passing the test.
The great thing about leasing is that a new car only needs an MOT on the third anniversary of its registration - which means that lease customers on a three year contract, or less, never need to worry about the test.
But for older cars, an MOT is an important annual safety check. And with dozens of parts of the vehicle under scrutiny, it can often be something relatively innocuous that can result in a fail.
Graham Conway, Managing Director of Select Car Leasing, has revealed how drivers should be on guard for faulty fog lights as they can be easy to forget to check prior to an MOT test.
Mr Conway said:
“Failing an MOT can be a frustrating and expensive experience for drivers, and it’s often the simplest things that can be the culprits.
“Most of us are aware of the most obvious aspects of the test such as brakes, tyres and mirrors, but how many of us pay attention to our fog lights, particularly if we've not used them for a while?
“They are incredibly important to use during adverse weather conditions, and a faulty or broken fog light can be very dangerous.
“The law says all vehicles must be fitted with a rear fog light, while front fog lights are only inspected if the vehicle was first used on or after 1st March, 2018.
“Before bringing your motor for an MOT, you should be aware of the potential pitfalls that could result in a failure, and fog lights are easy to have fixed before the big test.
"And, of course, when you lease a car, you can rest safe in the knowledge that new vehicles don't require an MOT until they're three years old. It's why leasing can offer real peace of mind for many motorists."
Fog lights are bright lights found on a vehicle that are used for improving road visibility or warning other motorists of their presence when weather conditions are adverse.
They can cut through visibility hazards such as mist, rain or even dust and are situated below the headlights in the front of the car, and in the vehicle centre line or to the driver’s side at the rear.
The Highway Code states that fog lights should only be used when visibility drops below 100 metres - roughly the length of a football pitch.
Front fog lights are usually represented on the dashboard by a green light shining towards the left with a wavy line through it.
Rear ones are often amber lights shining towards the right, also with a wavy line through it.
As well as using fog lights during spells of poor visibility, motorists are also advised to keep a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in front.
It’s also smart to avoid using full beam lights as they can be reflected back and impede visibility even further.
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