Manx Mot

[kevster]

Before I ramble on Guzzi, I'd like to know if anyone knows as to how many motor vehicles there roughly are on IOM?

I should also add -

How many garages are there in the IOM?

 

Welsh link re VOSA

Figures for 2003

passenger cars: 50,600

trucks and buses: 11,640

[NAIRB]

MOT stations here get bad press for failing vehicles when really they should not fail, the emphasis is on PASS and ADVICE if its clearly Knackered it fails if not advice, then the responsibility falls with the vehicle owner to rectify the slightly worn part before it becomes dangerous its then his or her choice, but they have been officially warned,What we have here in the UK is Garages competing for MOT testing, the Full price for a car MOT is £54.85p so you have garages discounting and getting into a price war I have seen tests advertised for £20 its these Garages who are more likely to fail vehicles rather than advice on potential faults, to make doing tests that cheap viable, The result of the MOT is down to how the tester interpenetrates what he or she is looking at, The fee drivers pay, the MOT station keeps, but bear in mind the cost of equipment and calibration the cost of repair to this equipment and of course the testers time not a lot of money goes to the government,The only cost that VOSA get from the Garage is for the MOT slots ,all test documentation is free as is the computerised system and tester training and refresher courses You need an MOT here as well as insurance, to get road tax, no MOT no tax and if there is no tax less chance of insurance as well, and if the car is driven round without any of these you don't need to be pulled to be found out, as everything is on a database and with the numberplate recognition cameras in place the police know before they stop you if you are legal or not, This does help to keep uninsured and unsafe cars off the road, I am not saying this will work on the IoM, but something based on the lines of the initial Manx Safety check when a vehicle enters the Island, for vehicles over a certain age maybe and say every 2 years, at just a few government authorised garages in different areas on the island who would have to tender for the contracts and all charging the same fee set down by the authorities, but more than likely like here due to free enterprise they could some how discount , (but word would soon get round which is the most honest test centre ) would that not work? A certificate of road worthiness to last 2 years to be produced to obtain insurance and tax would not be a bad thing would it? Here the government are trying to bring in the 4-2-2 system that's MOT on cars 4 years old then every 2 years but the MOT industry are fighting this because here it is big business more than it would ever be on the Island I know a UK MOT is not really worth the paper its on but it does ensure the car is roadworthy at least once a year ,in the IoM case, I know some of the checks can be done in about 5 mins by the vehicle owner (if they are mechanicly minded -fine but not everyone is ) but any action he or she takes on what they find is voluntary and that could be the issue weather they act on it or not, that's if they understand what they are looking at, but some posters on this topic are convinced that all drivers on the Island have their car serviced at least once a year ,and check all the lights, horn, brake pads etc. on a regular bases in an ideal word maybe. A recent research carried out in the UK reveals almost a fifth of motorists think servicing their cars is a waste of time and admitting only doing so when they can afford it,and not when recommended, and spending their money on legal requirements like road tax insurance and the MOT, and servicing becomes a nice to do not a thing to do these worrying findings also show a third of motorists think their car maintenance skills are poor or very poor, I wonder if this is typical of Manx drivers as well I apologise for this Barrie type post

[gazza]

then again this is a govenment that forces MOT on all wagons over 7.5tons, but there own wagons do not have to. (well was the last time i spoke to the people in charge) one rule for one, one for anorther

[sunset]

Tragic death of a cyclist out on a training run Greeba way when a wheel (allegedly still bolted to its hub) fell off a passing wagon?

 

I don't have strong views on this issue one way or another, but wouldn't that wagon have been subject to the mandatory checks referred to by x-in-man above?

 

Yes it was and still would be.

 

As far as i'm aware it was the garage who was found at fault?, for not putting the wheel on tight enough?

 

 

I can tell you that the hub did not fall off, infact the inner wheel of the pair was still attached to it on the vehicle when the driver finally noticed he had a problem. A garage was not found to be at fault. I sat through the entire case and the fitters of the wheeel were found not guilty by a jury. There was a notice in the cab of the vehicle telling the driver that the wheel nuts needed to be retighted after a certain distance, which he ignored. Wheel fitters such as National tyres make the driver sign a disclaimer stating that the fitters are not responsible if the wheels are not subjected to a wheel recheck within a certain mileage, as they have no control of the vehicle after it leaves their premises.

 

The regulations requiring that class of wagon to be annually tested had just come in at the time of the accident and would have applied when the vehicle needed retaxing.

Edited August 16, 2011 by sunset

[Max Power]

MOTs don't really help. It does not prevent lights from blowing, tyres and brakes from wearing, etc. It does, however, pick up issues like worn steering or suspension, But, so does an annual service.

sounds like a friend of mine who used to get his car serviced regularly at the company dealer and was told that he needed new brake discs, not that they were below minimum thickness 'but they may be' before it was next serviced ! (been polishing their crystal ball !)

that was the final straw with that garage and he changed his car after that.

 

imagine if they did MOTs

Your friend didn't like being told that his brake discs may be worn out before his next service was due? All he had to do was have them rechecked at a later date!

Some people eh? What would he have said if they had worn out and he hadn't been advised?

Edited August 16, 2011 by Max Power

[oldcarman]

After i see a report saying that more than 50% of accidents are caused by unroadworthy cars then i will say yes, but until then i think its just another way to see everyone out of pocket, the only people who would benefit are car parts companies, car garages and the government.

 

i've got an idea, why dont the government think about sorting some of the roads out first? maybe if the roads were in a better state we wouldnt have any unroadworthy cars?

 

what about the state of the traffic system in douglas? does anyone actually know how to merge on the island? or use a roundabout for that matter?