Driving Without an MOT: Why You Shouldn’t
A MOT certificate is only valid for a year and the soonest you can apply for a new MOT is up to a month before its expiry date. There is no excuse to be driving without an MOT.
To book MOT tests you can go online now meaning it is only going to take a few minutes and a couple of clicks on your phone or keyboard to register for a new test.
Check MOT expiry date
As with booking your MOT online, you can also check when your vehicle’s certificate needs to be renewed. So there’s no excuse for forgetting to see to this important aspect of your car’s roadworthiness.
Flagged down with no MOT
If you are stopped by police and their database flags up the fact that you don’t have an up-to-date MOT certificate, you won’t get getting any sympathy from the law. Don’t try saying that your vehicle came away with a flawless MOT the year before because this won’t hold water with them. If you are found to be driving without a current MOT, you can be fined up to £1,000 and even have your car impounded.
Driving with a “dangerous” MOT fail
If you take your car in on time for its MOT, but manage to drive away from the service centre with a “dangerous” fail, this is far more serious that driving without an MOT. If the centre is reputable, they will strongly advise you not to leave without having the necessary repairs. If you ignore this, they are likely to report you to the authorities. Even if they don’t, your vehicle’s historical MOT check is available database. You will fined up to £2,500, have your car impounded and receive three penalty points on your licence. It is irresponsible to do this.
Exceptions to the MOT test rule
If your MOT has expired and you are found to be driving on a public road, you could well be on your way to the MOT test centre. If so, you must be able to provided proof that this is the case and you will be allowed to go on your way. Also, if you are wondering why you haven’t had to book in for an MOT, it is because your vehicle is less than three years old. After the 36 months, however, the manufacturer’s warranty comes to and end and the onus is on you to have the vehicle MOT tested every 12 months.
MOT retest
If your car fails and is scheduled to a retest, dependent on the relevant repairs, this is free if the work is carried out by the same garage and that the retest is completed within 10 working days of the first test.
Driving without a current MOT certificate has serious implications, it is simply not worth take the change. You don’t need to take a chance driving with a valid roadworthy certificate, so book your MOT online with plenty of time to spare.
