Driving with no MOT....what would you do?

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:16 am

Ok, so I'm not actually planning on commuting in a car with no MOT. But relating to my recently acquired, slightly sorry looking pink valver....I want to get it MOT'd so I can get a good idea of just how much work (and money

) it's going to take to make it roadbound again. I'm aware that you're allowed to book in for an MOT and drive the vehicle there with no MOT or tax, aslong as it's booked in.
I assume you'd need to insure the car, although many people have told me a car's insurance is invalidated if the car is not taxed. Go figure? I'd insure it anyway, just to show willing if anything.

However.....I'm moving house next week and last week I thought myself a bit of a genius. One of the first things I need to move to the new house is said BX. So, I booked it in for an MOT near my work and intended to drive it in on my way to work (I'm moving in the evenings), and pick it up after work and drive it home.....to my new home!

But, here lies a problem. I'm pretty sure it'll fail, and having researched and spoken to people, I don't think you're allowed to drive home again afterwards if you've failed (although even if it passed you still wouldn't be taxed, and there are no days' grace periods for car tax I believe....just another section of the law they don't seem to have made clear!)
I'm told that if it did fail and I drove it home again, it could be taken away and crushed if I was pulled by the filth.

Getting the car recovered is expensive and a PITA as far as my time goes. I need to move this stuff all in a couple of days and it's in the way right now, I can't be here sorting out a truck (and telling the driver he needs to put it on low, otherwise it'll sink while on the back and the ratchet straps will come loose, and he can't put it over the rear wheels as he'll wreck the bodykit!) In short, a right old PITA.

I did think about booking in for an MOT in a garage near my new house, as I recently learned there is surprisingly no defined mileage limit. But then I'll have to stop at work on my way in and therefore I'm not driving directly to an MOT station....I'm commuting, and taking the piss slightly in the process!

But I'm not out to break the law, I just want to move the bloody car, and I'd like to get an MOT report in the process. Ideally I'd be allowed to drive it home afterwards, even if it failed with the intention of repairing the car and re-MOTing it, but if I weren't allowed to I could understand why.

Any ideas? I know some on here are pretty clued up law-wise. Normally I have no regard for it and would just drive it there and tell anyone who didn't like it to F/O as I'm purely moving it/paying tax on 4 cars 2 of which only do 1000miles a year etc etc, but I'm going to be a dad and have to mature at some point

jonathan_dyane · Post by **jonathan_dyane** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 4:47 am

My understanding is that it is perfectly acceptable to drive for an MOT with no tax, and not having tax *does not* invalidate your insurance; that is merely propaganda... Further, I am sure you are also permitted to drive the car on the road 'for repairs to pass an MOT' so, taking it to the test centre then returning to your new home with a fail is, IMHO, all legal and above board.

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:12 am

Can't help much with your problem, but my XM doesn't have a valid tax disc in the window due to it being lost in the post.
I was pulled by the police due to the said offence, they told me "if the car isn't taxed, your insurance is invalid"
Needless to say when they checked, the car is taxed.

Tourist · Post by **Tourist** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:31 am

My opinion Kitch is that if you're driving to or from the test centre, you should be fine. You should try and have some sort of evidence with you, so if you're stopped you've got something to show to prove you're not just another idiot driver who can't be bothered and thinks they can get away with it.

Hands up I've driven on one occasion without insurance, and once without tax. Give no other option, my dad was driving around without tax for about a month and nothing ever came of it, but then he was probably VERY lucky going in and out of Oxford where there are cameras everywhere.

Hurricane · Post by **Hurricane** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:50 am

We got pulled over in Preston the day we got the TXD back on the road in 2007, passed it's MOT and taking it for some new tyres (having insured it that very morning) and the police pulled us over on the way to the tyre bay saying our car flashed up on the sensor thingy.

We explained it had just been insured and they phoned up the insurance place who confirmed this, then they apologized saying that seeing as it's just been insured it wont have registered on the sensor thing yet.

Of course it's getting the car back to your new house after the MOT test, did you mention you collected it first of all on a low loader? Might be worth it again to save any hassle...

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:38 pm

Having researched quite thoroughly, I've got a bit of a result in that it is actual legal to do.

I'm allowed to drive to the MOT station, provided it's insured and it's booked in. Then I'm allowed to drive it to place of repair, including my home residence (which will be my new house, as the 4th is my 'official' moving in day). I can then repair the car as required and drive back in for a booked MOT once more, then once passed I must return straight home. I'm not even allowed to stop and tax it....how anal?!

So it will be getting an MOT report on Wednesday

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 7:39 pm

Hurricane wrote:We got pulled over in Preston the day we got the TXD back on the road in 2007, passed it's MOT and taking it for some new tyres (having insured it that very morning) and the police pulled us over on the way to the tyre bay saying our car flashed up on the sensor thingy.

We explained it had just been insured and they phoned up the insurance place who confirmed this, then they apologized saying that seeing as it's just been insured it wont have registered on the sensor thing yet.

You're honoured - ANPR is quite new and not many people have been pulled as a result!

When you consider that you arrange insurance, the insurance company waits until it has a sensibly-sized mail packet, posts the package of newly-insured cars to the DVLA, and then someone at DVLA manually enters details from paper into the computer, you won't be surprised at having pulled over!

Matt H · Post by **Matt H** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:49 pm

Good luck with the MoT tomorrow... I'm sure it will throw up more things onto the to-do list, but hey... it'll be worth it in the end

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:49 pm

Tourist wrote:My opinion

Your opinion is completely irrelevant. What matters is the law. The law (as Kitch has found out) permits the car to be taken away from an MOT centre after failing the test, and to be taken to places where pre-booked repairs are being made.

To be completely anal about it, you are NOT allowed to take the car for repairs before taking it to the MOT test, which I find a bit odd. It would make sense to take the car to Mr tyre fitter, get new tyres, then get the MOT. What you have to do is go for the MOT, fail it, get new tyres, and then get a re-test.

cavmad · Post by **cavmad** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:02 am

It does need insurance and you can drive it back after failing MOT, though obviously if bald tyres/not working lights/crap brakes you're throwing yourself at the mercy of the police.
Don't be tempted to drive anywhere but the MOT centre and straight back. I got followed once en route back from a failed MOT and stopped at a mate's house down the road. Got followed by the police who pulled me up outside my local garage who were going to do the work for me. I even had the failure sheet and the aprts in my hand. Copper reported me, I sent proof of MOT, the time, receipt for parts and even proof it was booked in at said garage and the wankers still did me. Apparantly because I'd stopped on the way back it meant I committed some sort of offence. What a load of old bollocks but there you go.

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:36 pm

Well the car made it both to the MOT station 7 miles away, and then to my new address 12 miles from that.

Failed. Big time! More on that once I'm all moved in!

Post by **mat_fenwick** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:59 pm

Bugger. As in BIG time 'not worth repairing' or just more hassle than you need at the moment? How about a nice red Visa GTi to take your mind of the MOT fail sheet?

Matt H · Post by **Matt H** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 1:41 pm

Sorry to hear that Kitch...

Still, hope the house move went well(or is going well, I suppose).

DLM · Post by **DLM** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 6:02 pm

Hope "Big Time" isn't structural probs, Kitch. But for anything else you may need a hand with, don't forget I'm now just down the road if I can help in any way.

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:05 am

Managed to sneak a few minutes away from paint drying to make a quick post!

I don't think it's going to be a bad ending for the car as things stand. Can't find the fail sheet at the mo, but it basically read something like:

No movement in rear suspension - spheres, easy.

Accm sphere leaking

PAS pipes @ pinion leaking

All four tyres perished beyond safe limits

Strut return pipe split

Head/side lights not effective enough

Hole in exhaust

Washers not working

ABS light on (although stayed out whole journey home!)

Both CV boots split

Think theres more, the fail sheet totalled 3 pages! However most of it was small time consuming jobs, rather than big money or big problem jobs. Tyres and ABS aside, it's not looking expensive.....just a load of blood sweat and tears!

Advisorys were ok too....both wishbones have slightly play in bushes, and one suspension pipe showing surface corrosion. That's it!

Best news is structually....solid as a rock!

It's at my new house now, I'm still in Winchester this last night before moving officially tomorrow. The new place doesn't have a phone line yet

so I might not be on for a while, but I had my bank account hacked today and some lovely people in Manchester haev spent all my money, leaving sweet FA for BX, kids, house, food etc etc.
Dumb fools spent loads of play.com and left a delivery address.

When it's all up and running, I'll report back!