'I'm a mechanic - motorists might fail MOT test for this one reason'

A top motoring mechanic has warned road users could fail their MOT test for a little, seemingly harmless issue. A small crack on the front glass windscreen may not seem very important but could pose a major risk for owners.

Cracked windscreens can be crucial and dents in the wrong area can see mechanics forced to instantly fail vehicles. Cracked glass can significantly impair motorists' vision of the road as well as compromise the structural integrity of cars. Experts at The Car Edition, an independent garage located in Huntington, stressed how road users could be caught out by a simple crack.

Speaking on TikTok, they said: "Today we're going to talk about a controversial topic on the MOT which is the windscreen. Most of it is actually up to the tester's discretion. We have a perfect example. This crack is actually on the nearside, which is the passenger side. If the tester is picky, he might fail this although he shouldn't. Because as funny as it will sound, this is an advisory at most.

"The simple reason being that every MOT testing bay has a template to test the windscreen. It's smaller than you will think.

Pointing at the glass windscreen just in front of the driver, the mechanic ran his hands around the steering wheel area.

He quickly added: "If there is anything in this area that is obstructing the view, that is a failure, no questions asked. You can only fail on stone chips if it's bigger than the size which is also included on the template. You just put the template on and if it's bigger than the given circle you have to fail it."

Experts at the RAC have previously explained exactly how road users could be caught out by cracked windscreens. They stressed certain areas of the screen are more risky than others, meaning some individuals could get away with it and still pass.

The RAC explained: "A damaged or cracked windscreen could result in an MOT fail. If there is windscreen damage of 40mm or more in size, anywhere on the windscreen, your vehicle will fail its MOT. And the crack will need to be fixed before being re-tested.

"However, even a 10mm-sized damage on a cracked windscreen results in MOT failure if it falls within what is known as windscreen Zone A. This zone is the section of the windscreen that is 290mm wide and centred on the steering wheel - in other words, directly in the driver's line of vision."