Drivers View of the Road

I had a Vauxhall Corsa C in for Test today, and the VE in the other day advising me to pass and advise, which I thought is that to get low figures on the PR reports?

Anyway, the windscreen swept area is shown in the manual along with zone A, however I should advise that the swept area I think about in the manual is actually called "Windscreen Inspection Zones", therefore the remainder of the swept area outside of zone A may not be exactly what I consider it to be, or I could be wrong.

The first point to note after looking at the windscreen inspection zones to me is;

Operating the windscreen washers and wipers noting the swept area of the windscreen. The Corsa passengers windscreen wiper arm/blade stopped each time short of the lower edge of the windscreen along the bonnet line, at about the tax disc area to the left.

The manual says, note the swept area so I was wondering where does the actual swept area begin in the inspection zone if the wiper blade when parked is positioned on the screen such that it is above the bonnet line?

The wiper blade gave more than adequate view of the road when sweeping across the screen in both directions, but parked in the inspection zone.

In section 8.3, the manual makes reference to the wipers that automatically park in a position that obscures the view through the swept area of the windscreen. At this point I was wondering how bad a position this wiper would have to be in to obscure the drivers view?

I had no problem seeing over it and under it, therefore was left wondering what VOSA was implying with this information?

In the remainder of the swept area the manual advises us that damage not contained within 40mm is a fail, yet in the past VOSA from Bristol have advised that stickers or damage along the bonnet line that exceeds the limits are not a fail.

My Corsa today had damage to the windscreen at the nearside lower inspection zone underneath the wiper blade when parked, much greater in length than 40mm.

I wondered whether I should be passing this damage or failing it along with the wipers parked position, but had these dilemmas;

1 / VOSA in the past have advised me that stickers and damage along the bonnet line don't fail.

2 / If the wiper in the park position does not obscure the drivers view through the windscreen, why should it fail, and how bad actually is the interpretation "Obscured" through the swept area to be if you can see over and under the wiper blade, which has no significant effect?

I ended up passing and advising both defects and wondered if other NTs would be more strict than me on this subject?

Davidg