the Road Traffic Act 1988; it does not apply only to highways (or in Scotland a relevant road) but includes other places available for public use, which are not highways. This applies except when driving to or from (subject to insurance terms and conditions) a booked MOT test or to have remedial work done to rectify failures in a previous test. Possession of an up-to-date VT20 test certificate is a pre-requisite for obtaining vehicle excise duty, and advertisements for used cars frequently say how many months are left to run on the current MOT (i.e., VT20 certificate; although the VT20 points out that it does not, in any way, guarantee road-worthiness at the time of sale). A vehicle could suffer major damage after a MOT has been carried out, but the certificate would still be valid, and obtaining a new one is not required by law (some insurance companies may require a new test, but this is their practice, not law). However, driving a vehicle which is in a dangerous condition on a public road is always illegal, irrespective of its test status. The official UK MOT inspection manuals are available online. Overview of the test In Great Britain MOT testing centres are regulated and licensed by the Department and Transport and DVSA for the purpose, and the individual testers carrying out the inspections also have to be trained and certified. The main purpose of the MOT test is to check if a vehicle meets the main UK road safety standards. The decision to pass or fail each presented vehicle comes down to the discretion of the tester following the guidelines issued by the DVSA. The MOT test covers the following aspects: Exhaust and emissions Seat belts Steering Windscreen Bonnet catch Horn Number plate Lights Brakes Tyres and wheels Mirrors Doors Seats Suspension Fuel system Body and structure Battery & Wiring The inspection manual can be found online. The full details must by law be provided on request by all garages licensed to perform MOT tests and are currently published in DVSA's leaflet The MOT Test and You. An MOT test certificate confirms that at the time of test, the vehicle has met the minimum acceptable environmental and road safety standards. It does not mean that the vehicle is roadworthy for the life of the certificate. The test does not cover the condition of the engine (other than the emissions),