The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has begun the national rollout of a new feature requiring MOT garages to photograph vehicles during tests. The 'Photos at Test' initiative aims to tackle 'ghost MOTs', where certificates are issued without the vehicle being present.
Rollout details
The rollout started on August 3, following two successful trials involving over 300 garages across Britain, with more than 60,000 images uploaded. The DVSA reported 'overwhelmingly positive feedback' from participants. The feature will become mandatory after updates to the MOT testing guide and manuals.
Grant Thunder, DVSA's head of MOT, said: "The MOT is designed to help keep road users safe by helping ensure vehicles are roadworthy and environmental standards are maintained. Photos at test will help prevent fraud, provide reassurance to motorists and protect the reputations of hard-working and honest MOT testers across the country."
Why the change?
The DVSA stated that a 'small minority' abuse the system by issuing certificates for vehicles that never attended a test station. This fraud allows potentially dangerous vehicles to remain on roads, undermining confidence in the MOT scheme. The new feature makes such fraud harder to commit.
Trials involved two phases: first with 62 garages uploading over 13,000 images, and second with 244 garages adding nearly 48,000 more. Success rates reached 90% in busy garages initially, with many achieving 99-100%. Over half of users were 'very satisfied', describing the process as 'easy' and 'stress-free'. Test times remained around 40 minutes.
Impact on motorists
For motorists, booking and attending MOTs remains unchanged. Photos are stored securely, used only for verification, and not linked to owners or shown publicly. The DVSA emphasized that the vast majority of garages act with integrity, and this protects their reputation while assuring motorists that tested vehicles were genuinely presented.
