Driving with no M.O.T. by accident!

[Xenon101]

After trying to renew my tax disc online, I was rejected. It appears that my MOT expired several months ago! I have unwittingly been driving without MOT. I am getting this done asap. Are there likely to be any comebacks?

[chrisrob]

I did the same thing a couple of years ago. I'd bought a "new" (second hand car) and not noted the expiry date. I tried to renew on-line and was rejected. It was December 23rd and I needed the car on Christmas Day but found a garage to do it on Christmas Eve and fortunately it passed.
I had been driving unwittingly a few months without MOT but there were no repurcussions.

[Xenon101]

Cheers. I'm getting the mot on Saturday now and hopefully can get the disc backdated.

Ta for the answer.

[sandmaster]

I think many drivers have been in this situation. If you don't commit a reportable offence before the MOT test there will be no comebacks.

[sandmaster]

Sorry--should have added that driving the car without an MOT is a reportable offence, but I meant to say "if you are not caught commiting a reportable offence."
You are allowed to drive the car without a valid MOT only if it is to a MOT centre for a booked appointment.

[Toureman]

The tax disc will not be backdated but you will be paying the fee for the period from the first of this month so you should be OK.

[Xenon101]

Cheers guys. MOT booked and disc not long after.

[debbz1969]

You may find that your insurance in invalid too if the car isn't MOT'd. Worth checking.

[ChuckFickens]

Lack of MOT does not invalidate your insurance, if it did every single prosecution for no MOT ever would be accompanied by a prosecution for no insurance.

If you were to have an accident though it would give the insurance company good grounds to try and get out of making a payout and you may find yourself personally liable.

[debbz1969]

Isn't that the same as having invalid insurance?
Surely if the insurance company doesn't pay out because of the absence of a valid MOT certificate it is making the insurance INVALID.....

[debbz1969]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport /Highwaycode/DG_069868

Says here that driving an unroadworthy car without an MOT certificate MAY invalidate your insurance.

[ChuckFickens]

no it doesn't, it says

Driving an unroadworthy motor vehicle may invalidate your insurance. with no mention of MOT in that statement.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVe hicle/Mot/DG_4022108

States

Your MOT certificate confirms that your vehicle, at the time of its test, (as far as can be reasonably determined without dismantling) met the minimum acceptable environmental and road safety standards required by law. It doesn�t mean that the vehicle is roadworthy for the life of the certificate and isn�t a substitute for regular maintenance.

Just because a car has an MOT doesn't mean it is roadworthy, and just because a car does not have an MOT does not make it unroadworthy .

in the event of a accident the insurers assessors will inspect the car and they will tel the insurance company if it was roadworthy regardless of having a MOT or not

No MOT does not automatically invalidate insurance, driving a unroadworthy car MAY invalidate your insurance, these things are not linked.

[jno]

not necessarily the same thing in the eyes of the law, debbz. You must take out insurance, says the law. Insurance where the insurer won't pay up is ok - it's your problem but not the law's.

[debbz1969]

I stand to be corrected. Good job I'm fully covered insurance, MOT and tax.

[jic]

I bet you cant find an insurance company that will insure you if you tell them you dont have a valid mot tho! lol!

My car wasnt taxed for 3 weeks due to the dealer (they said they had sent it in the post, twice, turns out they hadn't!) and i never heard anything from the dvla.

[dm1982]

what insurance company even asks if your cqar has an MOT?? none