Staying legal while driving’s critical. Have you ever wondered whether driving without an MOT is illegal? It’s not always easy to know if you’re safe and legal while out on the road. However, don’t fret – the following tips can help you understand where you stand when driving with a failed/expired MOT. In turn, this can allow you to stay safe and legal on the road.
Always Double Check a Car’s MOT History Before Buying
As we’ve seen today, driving without an MOT could potentially land you in a lot of hot water. Thus, if you’ve been looking to buy, we strongly recommend checking its MOT history first.
Of course, the quickest way to do this is to ask the seller. However, they may not know exactly, or may give out inaccurate information. Thus, running a vehicle check before you complete is important.
Driving with a Failed MOT
It’s not uncommon for cars to fail. This is particularly common as vehicles get older, with greater wear and tear increasing the risk of breakages.
Naturally, there can be numerous reasons for a car to fail, from seemingly minor issues to major problems. However, if your car doesn’t pass, you won’t be able to drive it on the roads. However, if the issues are repairable, you may be able to drive out again if you get the damage fixed.
Now, you may be allowed to drive with a failed MOT directly to the garage for a pre-booked repair; however, this only applies if the problem(s) causing the failure were non-dangerous. If the cause of the failure was a serious or dangerous fault, you will need to make other arrangements.
What if an MOT is Expired
A failed test is enough to make your car illegal on the road. That’s not all, though, as it’s also illegal to drive it on the road generally with expired MOTs. However, the main exception here is if you are driving directly to a pre-booked MOT appointment, provided no dangerous faults.
For example, if your car is in perfect condition but its MOT ran out on Monday, you may be able to drive it to the garage on Friday for a pre-booked MOT. However, you cannot drive to the garage without booking the MOT in advance; additionally, if there is dangerous damage to the car, you should not drive this out.
It’s important to consider that a direct route means no detours at all. You should be heading directly to the garage, and should then avoid driving the car until it has passed.
Not All Cars Need an MOT
Thus far, we’ve clarified that driving without an MOT is illegal – however, this is provided your car needs an MOT. Indeed, MOTs aren’t necessarily needed on all vehicles. Namely, if your car was registered three years ago or less, you won’t need an MOT until it reaches the three years mark. This initial three year grace window means that, if you always drive brand new cars, you may not need MOTs.
Conclusion
To summarise, if your vehicle has no MOT, it is illegal to drive on UK roads unless you are driving to a pre-booked MOT appointment. This is important to remember as there are serious consequences if you get caught driving without a valid MOT.