Would you fail an MOT due to a sunstrip?

Mechanic advises on potential ‘summer’ grey area

Would you fail an MOT due to a sunstrip?

Windscreen sunstrips, a popular summer upgrade, might cause trouble during MOT tests, warns mechanic Craig from Walsall Wood Tyre and Service.

The concern lies in sunstrips that intrude on the “swept area” of the windscreen – the area cleared by wiper blades. According to Craig, police can pull drivers over if the sunstrip extends more than 10mm into this area.

MOT regulations focus on whether the sunstrip hinders the driver’s view of the road, not just the sky. This creates a grey area, as interpretations can differ.

“Technically, from the police’s perspective, they can do you for it,” says Craig. He recommends using smaller wiper blades if the sunstrip is larger than 10mm within the swept area.

Motoring specialists Polyward echo Craig’s concerns, highlighting potential consequences: “A sunstrip exceeding regulations could cause your MOT to fail, requiring correction before receiving a valid certificate.”

In rare instances, police may request sunstrip removal if it significantly obstructs the driver’s view within the wiped area.

Source: Birmingham Live

7 Comments

  1. Rip it off

    Reply
  2. Fail the car or refuse to test. Let the owner rip it off.

    Reply
  3. Should sun visers be removed as well

    Reply
  4. If it can not be seen with the sun visor down it is a pass.
    it does not matter where the swept area is.

    Reply
  5. Why does the photo show a rear screen?

    Reply
  6. You’d need the owners permission first. It’s not like easy removal items in “Items removed prior to test”.

    Reply
  7. It all depends how tall the driver is whether the view of the road is obscured or not.
    It’s not something that can be quantified with a tape measure unless the height of the driver’s head is taken into account.
    Some crazy drivers can only just see over the steering wheel as they set the seat to some sort of low racing position which they think looks cool.
    In reality it makes them look like a child driving !

    Reply

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