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SEPTEMBER 2020 AFTERMARKET 11 www.aftermarketonline.net would not work well in the industry.” Flexibility DVSA are providing flexibility to MOT stations fortunately. They said: “Where equipment cannot be recalibrated, testing may only continue when test equipment is functioning normally and correctly and you have documented evidence (such as an email from the calibration supplier) that they are unable to provide this service and, where possible, have a recalibration appointment date booked. “Where any test equipment is not functioning correctly or is unsafe, irrespective of its calibration status, testing must cease immediately.” Julian approved of the stance: “This is the next best step from our perspective.” He added: “All garages and MOT testing stations should always look for GEA members who have GEA- accredited engineers for the supply and calibrations of all garage equipment.” Assimilate What do we do looking forward then? “The MOT is becoming more important,” observed IMI CEO Steve Nash, “and I think that with that in mind, and looking forward, as an organisation the IMI qualifies more MOT testers on an annual basis than any other organisation, and we have in excess of 20,000 MOT testers in our membership. That is only a fraction of the number we actually qualify.” Does the pace of change need to increase? “The test is a slow-moving thing,” said Steve, “and it’s a bit like turning a big tanker. I applaud what the DVSA are doing. They have been deploying a long-term strategy to raise the standards around the MOT, but it does need to move a bit quicker, because the technology is not waiting. “We are quite aware that things like ADAS are not properly covered by the MOT. That is clearly an outstanding point that we and other bodies are working closely with the DVSA to get some movement on.” Calibration Staying with ADAS for a moment, Steve said: “ADAS is something that has exercised us and other organisations in the industry, around how we handle it. You have varying systems, an assortment of ways of calibrating them and different ways of knowing if they are working correctly or not. “I think it is a snapshot in time, because I believe we are moving more towards self-calibrating systems. That being said, there’s currently a lot of cars on the road that have these systems, and they need to be checked and reset. It is potentially risky if they aren’t set up properly. This has shown some of the inertia in the system, that I think at the moment is still an open point around the MOT. In an ideal world, it wouldn’t be. “A lot of that is to do with the fact that there are so many different systems and methods for calibration in place, so there are quite high costs around the kind of equipment you would need. Plus, there are some cars that require you to do extended road tests and things like that.” Broader There’s more though, said Steve: “To be honest, when you look at that sort of thing, it is broader than just the MOT test. The issue of calibration is ultimately going to fall into things like Type Approval, and whether or not it is acceptable to have all these different vehicles using all these different methods of calibration, or whether there needs to be some sort of enforced standardisation. “It is pretty difficult for the DVSA or any agency to keep on top of this, unless there is some degree of uniformity in it. Maybe the self- calibrating systems will help, but I think we also need to take consider other technological advances. I am thinking about Level 3 and Level 4 autonomy and beyond, and the proliferation of electrified systems, including certainly regenerative braking, but possibly even completely electronic braking systems.” Pushing What is in store for the next few months then? “The IMI will definitely be pushing on training,” said Steve. “We always find ourselves switching the Annual Training system off at midnight on 31 March, with some people still trying to get their qualifications. On the flipside, we have people calling in early April, asking ‘can I do my new test yet?’ Of course, there was a month extension given on the 2019-2020 exam because of COVID-19, so there are people out there who will be wanting to get qualified again and we have already been active on that.” Steve added: “Now that the exemption has ended, we will have a renewed push around that to engage as many testers as we can in getting their qualifications updated as quickly as possible.” www.aftermarketonline.net