whoa, British people had some TOUGH tests to make sure their car was safe! Check out this brake test gauge!

http://www.bowmonk.com/products/view/tapley-brake-test-meter

the MOT of Great Britain, Ministry of Transportation, tests vehicles over three years old used on anything defined as a road in the Road Traffic Act 1988

The test was originally just the basic test of brakes, lights and steering after the vehicle was ten years old and every year thereafter. When they checked the brakes back in the early 70s, they put one of these Tapley G Meters on the floor. Steve was telling about it this morning. The testing guy would slam on the brakes and sometimes caused crashes and wrecks and the govt had to change that up and test the brakes on a set of rollers

This became known as the "ten year test", or alternatively the "Ministry of Transport Test". The high failure rate resulted in the age that vehicles became due for testing being reduced to seven years in 1962

Now the windshield wipers are tested, the exhaust NOISE is measured against the standard for that make, model, and year, and the lights are checked. They don't want owners to feel like they can OWN the car and change it to improve it's looks or performance.