Watford, Hertfordshire -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/04/2015 -- Since January 2015, hundreds of vehicles have failed the MOTs following a change in the MOT standards.

On the surface, the change seems small, but it is causing a headache for many drivers. Since January 2015, the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) is part of the MOT test. If a vehicle is fitted with this system, it must be working properly in order to pass the MOT.

The important change is designed to improve overall road safety. Studies have shown that vehicles that do not have the correct tyre pressure will not stop as quickly as one with the correct tyre pressure. In addition, they are more likely to be involved in an accident because incorrect tyre pressure adversely affects the way a vehicle handles and grips the road.

The TPMS system warns drivers when their tyres are either over or under inflated. This electronic warning system has been available since 1986. The system was first fitted to Porsche 959s. However, the system was not fitted to mainstream vehicles until 1996 when Renault included TPMS as standard on their Scenic.

From then more manufacturers included this safety feature on their cars and vans. In 2012, the EU mandated that all new cars sold in Europe from 2014 must be fitted with this tyre safety system.

There are millions of cars on the UK's roads fitted with the system, but an awful lot of drivers are completely unaware that their vehicle has the system. Even those that know about the systemtend to ignore it and they certainly rarely test that the system is working correctly, and most owners have no idea that it is now part of the MOT.

As a result, hundreds of people are turning up for their MOT in Watford and other cities confident thattheir car will pass with no problem only to be disappointed when the TPMS is not working correctly.

The tyre and car industry are in the process of bridging this knowledge gap. TyreSafe have produced a short video to show them how to test the TPMS system prior to the MOT to help more drivers to avoid this problem.

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For more information visit the website http://www.rickmansworthsportscars.co.uk/mot-service

For Media Contact:
First Name: Justin
Last Name: O'Shea
Business Name: Rickmansworth Sports Cars
Address: Station Approach, Prestwick Rd
City: Watford
County: Hertfordshire
Postcode: WD19 7DT
Country: United Kingdom
Phone No.: 020 32821131
Email: justin@r-s-c.co.uk
Website: http://www.rickmansworthsportscars.co.uk