How far are you allowed to travel for an MOT?

lmfy2k

lmfy2k

lmfy2k

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theoretical question, having this discussion at work lol

Car has Tax/Insurance but no MOT, and law says you can drive on the road only to a prearranged test at a MOT test centre

How far can the MOT test centre be?

i.e can i travel 50 miles to a MOT test centre and still be legal?

remember theoretical question before i get shot down! lol
 
As long as you have a pre-booked MOT, the distance is actually irrelevant.

If you get pulled though the copper might give you a funny look if you're going for an MOT in Edinburgh while you're from Essex though.
 
It has to be a realistic reasonable miles distance, but has to be prearranged IIRC.

All MOT tests should all be the same (in theory) so picking one place over another shouldn't be a factor according to a police officer.

That's my opinion anyway. Driving a car that is potentially unsafe in the eyes of the law 50 miles to be proven otherwise is taking the leniency a bit far! I think we're lucky to be allowed to drive at all on a lapsed MOT given how strict some driving laws can be.
 
I was wondering this myself a couple of weeks ago i needed to mot my supra which i had left parked at my mums house 35 miles away. I wanted to MOT it locally in Birmingham but i didn't fancy being pulled over and having to explain myself. In the end i managed to arrange for my brother to take it for one.
 
I would happily drive a car 50 miles to an MOT station. But then I am relatively rural. My Passat had to go 25 miles for an MOT, so not exactly round the corner.

Although there is an MOT station just round the corner.
 
Dup said:
It has to be a realistic reasonable miles distance, but has to be prearranged IIRC.

All MOT tests should all be the same (in theory) so picking one place over another shouldn't be a factor according to a police officer.

That's my opinion anyway. Driving a car that is potentially unsafe in the eyes of the law 50 miles to be proven otherwise is taking the leniency a bit far! I think we're lucky to be allowed to drive at all on a lapsed MOT given how strict some driving laws can be.
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A few years ago my e36 was due it's MOT, working away all week in a truck made this slightly difficult to fit in.
I was starting a weeks holiday in Taunton the Monday after the previous MOT expired so I called a garage known to me in Taunton booked an MOT for the Monday afternoon and drove it from Stoke on the Monday morning - 164 miles - dropped it off at the garage around lunch time and it passed with no advisories.

No hassle at all although probably somewhat extreme! I don't think I'd do it again tbh!!!
 
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Doing 164 miles I would like to have seen what a copper would say, although if the car appeared roadworthy and with a legitimate reason for going there anyway, can't imagine many would through the book at you. Unless you failed the attitude test.
 
iAustinMark said:
Doing 164 miles I would like to have seen what a copper would say, although if the car appeared roadworthy and with a legitimate reason for going there anyway, can't imagine many would through the book at you. Unless you failed the attitude test.
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Even if they did "book you" it's dubious whether they'd get the charge.
 
Just bear in mind that if you have a crash cause by a mechanical fault that would have been picked up in the MOT, you might have some "fun" with your insurance company...
 
Haggisman said:
Just bear in mind that if you have a crash cause by a mechanical fault that would have been picked up in the MOT, you might have some "fun" with your insurance company...
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I don't think so, unless they could prove 100 per cent that you knew about the issue and that it directly or severely affected the outcome of the crash. :)

They'd still cover the other parties involved, at least, anyway.
 
lmfy2k said:
theoretical question, having this discussion at work lol

Car has Tax/Insurance but no MOT, and law says you can drive on the road only to a prearranged test at a MOT test centre

How far can the MOT test centre be?

i.e can i travel 50 miles to a MOT test centre and still be legal?

remember theoretical question before i get shot down! lol
Click to expand...

Have used this a few times to buy a car miles away with no MOT. Book in at your local test centre, get a lift to car, buy it, drive back for the MOT and if it fails at least it is local to home by then ;)
 
You must go straight to the MOT station by a reasonable route, no detour to a petrol station unless it's on route.

But there's no actual limit on distance as has been previously said.
 
There isn't a limit. If I want to take it to a good garage that I know will treat my car as they would their nice cars, I will, if it's 10 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles. I don't care.
 
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