The Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 1981

SCHEDULE 3THE MANNER AND CONDITIONS OF CARRYING OUT EXAMINATIONS, AND THE APPARATUS TO BE USED (see Regulation 4(4))

PART IThe Lighting Requirements

1.  The vehicle shall be examined to ascertain whether—

(a)it is equipped with lamps and reflectors which comply with the lighting requirements as respect their number, their operation and the position in which they are attached to the vehicle, and

(b)the said lamps are clean and efficient and the said reflectors are unobscured and efficient, and

(c)the vehicle is so equipped that the said lamps can be used to show a white light to the front visible from a reasonable distance or a red light to the rear so visible, so as to comply with the lighting requirements.

2.—(1) Where the vehicle is one which the lighting requirements require to be equipped with a headlamp, the vehicle and each of the headlamps with which it is fitted shall be examined in order to determine whether, if that lamp were to be used to show a light to the front while the vehicle was driven on a road during the hours of darkness, the beam of light emitted therefrom—

(a)is or can be so deflected that it is incapable of causing such dazzle as is mentioned in Regulation 9(2) of the Lighting Regulations, or

(b)can be extinguished by the operation of a device which at the same time causes—

(i)a beam of light to be emitted from that lamp, or

(ii)deflects the beam of light from another lamp, or

(iii)brings into operation another lamp which emits a beam of light,

in such manner that in no case is the beam of light so emitted or deflected capable of causing such dazzle as aforesaid.

(2) For the purpose of the examination of a headlamp in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) the direction of the beam of light which would be emitted from that lamp if it were to be used to show a light to the front in the circumstances specified in sub-paragraph (2) shall be tested either—

(a)in the case of a vehicle in any Class by causing the lamp to show a light and ascertaining what the direction is in relation to the vehicle of the beam of light emitted therefrom by the use of apparatus designed and constructed for the purpose of ascertaining within reasonable limits of precision the direction of the beam of light emitted from such a lamp; or

(b)in the case of vehicle in Class I or II, by placing the vehicle on level or uniformly sloping ground, causing the head lamp to show a light so that the beam of light emitted therefrom is thrown on a screen or wall, and ascertaining what the direction of that beam of light is in relation to the vehicle.

PART IIThe Stop Lamp Requirements

3.  The vehicle shall be examined to ascertain whether—

(a)it is equipped with stop lamps which comply with the stop lamp requirements as respects their number, their operation and the position in which they are attached to the vehicle, and

(b)the said lamps are clean and efficient, and

(c)the vehicle is so equipped that the said lamps show a steady red light when the brakes which operate the said lamps are applied, and, where more than one such lamp is fitted, that the light emitted by at least two of the said lamps is emitted at the same time.

PART IIIThe Direction Indicator Requirements

4.  The vehicle shall be examined to ascertain whether its direction indicators comply with the direction indicator requirements and in particular to ascertain whether—

(a)it is equipped with direction indicators which comply with the direction indicator requirements as respects their number, type and the position in which they are attached to the vehicle, and

(b)the said indicators are clean and efficient, and

(c)the colour of each of the said indicators—

(i)if it shows to both front and rear, is amber;

(ii)if it shows only to the front, is amber or white; and,

(iii)if it shows only to the rear, is amber or red, and

(d)each of the said indicators is visible from a reasonable distance, and

(e)where the vehicle is fitted with electric lighting equipment, each of the said indicators shows a steady or flashing light, and

(f)where the said indicators are equipped to show a flashing light, the rate of such flashing is not less than 60 nor more than 120 flashes per minute, and

(g)the vehicle is so equipped that the driver when in his seat is readily aware that a direction indicator is in operation.

PART IVThe Braking Requirements

6.  The vehicle shall be examined to ascertain whether it is equipped with such a braking system or systems that the braking requirements are complied with, and in particular to ascertain whether—

(a)the braking systems are in good mechanical condition and are free from evident defects;

(b)the braking systems are properly adjusted and operate as intended by their design;

(c)there is any such lack of balance in the application of the brakes to the wheels as to cause, or be likely to cause, serious deviation of the vehicle from its course when being driven on a road; and

(d)there is any other evident defect in the vehicle or its equipment by reason of which the braking requirements are not complied with.

7.—(1) Subject to Regulation 16 the examination of the braking system or systems of the vehicle shall include a test of the braking efficiency of its brakes to ascertain whether they have the braking efficiency required by the braking requirements (hereafter referred to as “the requisite braking efficiency”).

(2) If the vehicle is a vehicle in Class I or II the said test shall be carried out in such one or more of the following ways as the examiner may think fit—

(a)by using suitable apparatus to measure the force required to pull the vehicle along the ground while a person seated in its saddle is applying the brakes and determining by reference to that force when expressed as a percentage of the weight of the vehicle and its rider and any load carried thereon at the time whether the brakes have the requisite braking efficiency;

(b)by the vehicle being placed with a person seated in its saddle on a sloping platform and determining by reference to the steepness of the slope of the platform at which the brakes of the vehicle when applied by that person will hold the vehicle and its rider on the platform whether the brakes have the requisite braking efficiency;

(c)by using such a brake testing apparatus as may be suitable in relation to the vehicle to measure the braking force which is developed when the brakes of the vehicle are applied and determining by reference to that force when expressed as a percentage of the weight of the vehicle, including any person or load carried thereon at the time, whether the brakes have the requisite braking efficiency.

(3) If the vehicle is a vehicle in Class III, IV, V or VI the test of the braking efficiency of its brakes shall be carried out—

(a)if the vehicle testing station is equipped with brake testing apparatus suitable in relation to the vehicle, by placing the vehicle on such apparatus and using it to measure the braking force developed when the brakes are applied and determining by reference to that force when expressed as a percentage of the weight of the vehicle (including any person or load carried in the vehicle at the time) whether the brakes have the requisite braking efficiency;

(b)if the vehicle testing station is not so equipped, by applying the brakes while the vehicle is being driven on a road or other suitable place and by using a suitable decelerometer to measure the braking efficiency of those brakes when they are applied and determining by reference to that braking efficiency whether the brakes have the requisite braking efficiency.

(4) Subject to Regulation 16 a test of the brakes of a vehicle carried out in accordance with any of the foregoing provisions of this paragraph may, if the examiner thinks fit, be supplemented by a further test by the vehicle being driven on a road or any other suitable place and by its brakes being applied while it is being so driven for the purpose of determining by observation of the effects of such application whether any one or more of the braking requirements are complied with.

(5) In this paragraph—

(a)references to the brakes of a vehicle being applied are references to its brakes being applied by the means of operation provided for that purpose and, where a vehicle has more than one means of operation, are references to its brakes being applied by each of those means of operation being used separately to apply the brakes;

(b)“brake testing apparatus” means apparatus designed and constructed to measure the braking force developed when the brakes of a motor vehicle are applied; and

(c)“decelerometer” means an apparatus designed and constructed to measure the braking efficiency of the brakes of a motor vehicle when those brakes are applied while the vehicle is being driven.

PART VThe Steering Requirements

8.  The vehicle shall be examined to ascertain whether its steering gear complies with the steering requirements and in particular to ascertain whether—

(a)the steering gear is in good mechanical condition and free from evident defects;

(b)the steering gear is properly adjusted and operates as intended by its design;

(c)the front road wheel bearings are in good mechanical condition and are properly adjusted;

(d)in the case of a vehicle in Class I or II, the wheels and the sidecar (if fitted) are properly aligned; and

(e)there is any other evident defect in the vehicle or its equipment by reason of which the steering requirements are not complied with.

PART VIThe Tyre Requirements

9.  The vehicle shall be examined to ascertain whether its tyres comply with the tyre requirements and in particular to ascertain whether—

(a)except in the case of a heavy motor car, any tyre is a recut pneumatic tyre;

(b)any tyre is unsuitable having regard to the types of tyres fitted to its other wheels;

(c)any tyre has a break in its fabric, or has a cut in excess of 25 millimetres or 10 per cent of the section width of the tyre, whichever is the greater, measured in any direction on the outside of the tyre and deep enough to reach the body cords;

(d)any tyre has any lump or bulge (caused by separation or partial failure of its structure) or any exposure of the ply or cord structure;

(e)in the case of a motor cycle whereof the cylinder capacity of the engine does not exceed 50 cubic centimetres, the tread of each tyre shows throughout at least three quarters of the breadth of the tread and round the entire outer circumstances of the tyre a pattern the relief of which is clearly visible, and in the case of any other vehicle the tread pattern (excluding any tie bar) of each tyre has a depth of at least 1 millimetre throughout at least three quarters of the breadth of the tread and round the entire outer circumference of the tyre;

(f)there is any other defect in any tyre or any defect in any roadwheel by reason of which the tyre requirements are not complied with.

PART VIIThe Seat Belt and Anchorages Requirements

10.  The vehicle shall be examined to ascertain whether it is provided with anchorage points and seat belts which comply with the seat belt requirements and in particular to ascertain whether—

(a)the seat belts are in good and efficient condition, and

(b)the said seat belts are securely attached to the seat for which they are provided or to the structure of the vehicle, and

(c)all load-bearing members of the vehicle structure or panelling within thirty centimetres of an anchorage point are in a sound condition.

PART VIIIThe Windscreen Cleaning Requirements

11.  The vehicle shall be examined to ascertain whether it is so equipped that the windscreen cleaning requirements are complied with and in particular to ascertain whether—

(a)the windscreen wiper or wipers which are required to be fitted are in a good and efficient condition and capable of clearing the windscreen so that the driver has an adequate view of the road in front of the near and off sides of the vehicle in addition to an adequate view to the front of the vehicle, and

(b)in relation to the said windscreen wiper or wipers, the vehicle is equipped with a windscreen washer or washers in a good and efficient condition and capable of clearing, in conjunction with the windscreen wiper or wipers, the area of windscreen swept by the said wiper or wipers.

PART IXThe Exhaust Requirements

12.  The vehicle shall be examined to ascertain whether its exhaust system complies with the exhaust requirements and in particular to ascertain whether—

(a)where the vehicle is propelled by means of an internal combustion engine, it is equipped with a silencer, expansion chamber or other contrivance suitable and sufficient for reducing as far as may be reasonable the noise caused by the escape of the exhaust gases from the engine, and

(b)all parts of the exhaust system with which the vehicle is equipped as aforesaid are in a good and efficient condition.

PART XThe Audible Warning Instrument Requirements

13.  The vehicle shall be examined so as to ascertain whether it complies with the audible warning instrument requirements.

PART XIThe Body-work and Suspension Requirements

15.—(1) The vehicle shall be examined to ascertain whether any part of its bodywork or suspension is so affected by rust, or has otherwise been so damaged, that the proper functioning of the braking system or steering gear of the vehicle is likely to be prejudicially affected by reason thereof. That examination shall be a visual examination of the vehicle and in particular of its underside, but such examination shall not entail any dismantling of the vehicle or of any part of it.

PART XIIThe Class VI Vehicle Requirements

A Class VI vehicle shall be examined to ascertain whether the Class VI vehicle requirements are complied with.