Your Dashboard Is Not a Shelf: Passing the MOT Clear-View Check
Photo: Tdorante10, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
There’s a ritual that plays out in garages every week. A driver hands over the keys, the tester climbs in, and within seconds the car has been judged on something the owner never thought about: what is stuck to the inside of the windscreen.
Most of us treat the dashboard like a shelf. Phone cradle here, dash cam there, a parking permit that has been fading for years, and a little tree-shaped air freshener doing its best. None of it feels like a safety issue when you are doing 30 mph on a familiar road. But on MOT day, the tester has to look at your car through a different lens: can the driver see the road clearly?
This is not about tidiness. It is about the sweep of the wipers, the driver’s line of sight, and the fact that an MOT is an inspection of the car as presented — not as you meant to tidy it last weekend. Here is how to clear the view without ripping out the kit you actually use.
What the tester is really checking
The MOT inspection includes the driver’s view of the road. Testers are looking for anything that obstructs that view — not just cracks or chips, but objects inside the car. The practical reference point is the area the windscreen wipers sweep. If something sits in that zone and blocks your view, it can be noted as an advisory or, in a clear case, a failure.
The key word is ‘obstructs’. A small parking permit tucked into the passenger-side corner is unlikely to bother anyone. A phone cradle stuck in the middle of the windscreen, holding a phone at eye level, is a different conversation. Testers use judgement, and most will happily tell you what they see. They are not looking to fail you for having a dash cam. They are looking to make sure the car can be driven safely.
Phone mounts: the everyday offender
Phone cradles are the most common culprit because they live exactly where we need them: in view. A suction mount near the centre of the screen, or a vent mount with a phone clipped on, can sit right in the swept area. On test day, take the phone out of the cradle and, if it is quick to remove, take the cradle off too. If it is a sticky pad or a clamp that leaves residue, clean the glass afterwards with a proper glass cleaner — not a dash wipe.
A word on placement for the rest of the year: mount the phone low and to the side where possible, and never let it cover the driver’s view of the road. If you use it for navigation, set the route before you move off. That is good advice for driving, and it makes MOT day a non-event.
Dash cams: useful, but placement matters
Dash cams are now normal kit, and testers see them every day. The usual advice is to tuck the camera behind the interior mirror, on the passenger side, so it does not sit in the driver’s line of sight. Check that the cable does not dangle across the screen. Also be careful on modern cars with camera housings or sensors in the top centre of the windscreen — do not block those. If your dash cam has a screen that stays on, switch it off or set it to sleep.
If your camera is mounted in the middle of the swept area, move it before the test. You do not need to remove it permanently. A few minutes with a trim tool or a bit of patience with the adhesive pad is cheaper than a retest.
Air fresheners, permits and the little things
Dangling air fresheners are a classic. They swing, they catch the light, and in some cars they sit exactly where you look when checking the mirror. Take them off before the test. The same goes for fuzzy dice, lanyards, and anything hanging from the mirror.
Parking permits are trickier because they are meant to be displayed. Use a holder that keeps them flat against the glass, and keep them as far to the passenger side as possible. If a permit is large and opaque, consider whether it really needs to be there on test day. A blue badge is a display item, not an MOT requirement, so follow the rules for displaying it and do not let it become a view blocker.
When it becomes an advisory — or a fail
An advisory is a note that something should be watched or sorted. A failure is a defect that means the car does not meet the standard. For view obstructions, the tester decides based on how much the object blocks the driver’s view. A small item in the corner is usually an advisory at most. A large screen, a tablet, or a phone holder right in the middle of the swept area can be a fail if it clearly obstructs the view.
The honest take: do not argue the toss over a phone cradle. Clear the screen, let the tester do the test, and put your kit back afterwards. It is five minutes of faff versus a possible retest and a wasted morning.
The five-minute clear-view routine
- Sit in the driver’s seat and look straight ahead. Note anything in your natural line of sight.
- Remove phones, tablets and dangling items from the mirror.
- Take off removable phone cradles. If a mount stays, make sure it is low and to the side.
- Check the dash cam. Move it behind the mirror if it is in the sweep.
- Wipe the inside of the windscreen where suction pads have been. Clean glass is easier for the tester to assess.
- Put the everyday kit in a bag or the glovebox so you can refit it after the test.
After the test
Once you have the pass, or the advisory sheet, refit your kit with a bit more thought. Keep the sweep of the wipers clear. Put the phone mount low and to the side. Tuck the dash cam behind the mirror. Hang the air freshener somewhere that does not swing into your eyeline. Your car will look less like a market stall and more like a car — and next year’s MOT will be simpler for it.
If you are not sure whether something is in the swept area, ask your garage before the test. A good tester will tell you straight. That is the whole point of an MOT: not to catch you out, but to make sure the car is fit to be on the road.
