I've got to agree with Ratcatcher here; I've been working on cars and trucks since I left the mob in '72, and MOT testing from '76 to '96 - and it really is a thankless task, believe me.
It seems that you can insult someone's morals, beer drinking prowess, choice of clothing etc., but the second you fail someone's car on the MOT test they go barmy and accuse you of all sorts of things!
Okay, stuff like lights, tyres and wash/wipe are all too obvious, but you'd be amazed at the amount of people who drive around with driveshaft joints and exhausts hanging off, engines spewing oil everywhere and handbrakes seized solid through lack of use/ lubrication.
The other thing you notice is seat squabs that have collapsed so you're actually sitting on the floor, seat covers that have split wide opn and dumping the cushioning all over the carpet, and the old one of the interior being so filthy that you have to wear overalls to get into the damn things.
Add to that the sheer amount of moveable crap, like nutty wrappers, fag ends, CD's and Fanta bottles littering the interior and bouncing around every time you go round a corner or brake suddenly; if one of those ever turned over in an RTA, the driver would get smothered in all sorts of shite and wouldn't be able to breathe for five minutes afterwards.
The whole point of an MOT check is to ensure that all the safety aspects of the vehicle meet set requirements, but you cannot and will never legislate for some people's utter stupidity in ignoring the most basic aspects of vehicle safety, like keeping it clean and tidy.
JB.