The Injury Central

With half of motorists putting car buying plans on hold during the current recession and keeping their existing vehicles for longer, responsible car maintenance should be high up on a motorist’s minds. Around 4.7 million people in the UK miss their renewal date and worryingly, many of these motorists aren’t quick to rectify their error, with only half booking their car in for an MOT within a week of the expiry date, while over a third take up to a month, and one in ten taking anything up to 12 months.

Furthermore, two-thirds admitted to continuing to drive their car illegally past the expiry date. Not only are these motorists putting their own safety by driving a potentially un-roadworthy vehicle, they are also risking a prosecution for driving without a valid MOT .

The consequences of driving without an MOT can be very harsh. Driving without a MOT certificate is an offence under Section 47 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and, although conviction for this offence will not result in penalty points being placed on a driving licence, it carries a maximum fine of £1000. What’s more, driving without a valid MOT certificate automatically invalidates the insurance policy and should a driver be involved in an accident, they themselves would have to foot the bill for the damages, amounting to an average of £2,450.

This may seem extreme but in reality it is a life saver because if the law wasn’t as harsh people would rather take the fine and dangerous vehicles would be a lot more common. Deaths on the road would dramatically increase.