Driving to an MOT question

Man of Honour
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19 Oct 2002
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Surrey
I have a SORN car which I want to put back on the road. It does not currently have an MOT. I have booked the MOT for a couple of weeks time on a Monday. I know it's absolutely fine to drive it to the MOT on the Monday morning. But if I want to drop it off at the garage on Saturday instead then is that also OK because it is still being driven to the MOT?? Thanks.
 
Caporegime
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block 16, cell 12
Yes it will be insured and taxed. Thanks.

Is there a situation where a car without an mot cannot be insured. Id check with your insurers.

Is my car or van insurance valid without an MOT?
In most cases, as soon as your MOT expires, your insurance will no longer be valid. So if you have an accident, your van won’t be covered by your insurance provider and you’ll have to pay for repairs yourself – or potentially have your van written off. If the accident was your fault, you’ll also have to pay for the damage caused to any other vehicles involved, which could be very expensive. And, because it’s also illegal to drive without valid insurance, if you’re caught, you can face an unlimited fine or even disqualification from driving, plus 6 to 8 penalty points.
 
Don
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Spalding, Lincolnshire
It's not currently insured and has been SORN for 1.5 years. But I will be insuring it from the day I drive to the MOT station.

Good job it hasn't been stolen or set on fire then?!?

Whether something is SORN or not is irrelevant - a car is still normally an expensive asset that needs protecting.


As per my post if you don't have a valid MOT you might not be insured...
If you drove it without a mot your insurance might not be vaud it says

*might* being the operative word. In most cases however it's more a case of is the vehicle roadworthy than whether it has a current MOT.
https://www.cuvva.com/how-insurance-works/can-you-insure-a-car-without-an-mot
 
Caporegime
Joined
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Posts
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block 16, cell 12
Good job it hasn't been stolen or set on fire then?!?

Whether something is SORN or not is irrelevant - a car is still normally an expensive asset that needs protecting.





*might* being the operative word. In most cases however it's more a case of is the vehicle roadworthy than whether it has a current MOT.
https://www.cuvva.com/how-insurance-works/can-you-insure-a-car-without-an-mot

Quite, so unless you're a mechanic or unless its a ferrari that you don't want a 3rd party to drive, its safest to book a pick up mot service.

My Mrs has ysrr it a number of times without issue.
 
Don
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19 May 2012
Posts
17,054
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Spalding, Lincolnshire
Quite, so unless you're a mechanic or unless its a ferrari that you don't want a 3rd party to drive, its safest to book a pick up mot service.

Not at all - Given that an MOT is only an indication of roadworthiness on the day it's tested, every driver is responsible for ensuring their vehicle is roadworthy every time they drive it (as per the highway code). Typically this means basic things like checking your lights, wipers, indicators etc work, fluids are at correct levels, and that tyres are correctly inflated.

An MOT is not a requirement for most insurance policies
 
Soldato
Joined
6 Oct 2004
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18,300
Location
Birmingham
As per my post if you don't have a valid MOT you might not be insured...

It's not quite that simple, as Armageus says, it's more to do with the vehicle being roadworthy.

However, no MOT doesn't automatically mean the vehicle isn't roadworthy - yes in most cases it is illegal to drive a car without a valid MOT (meaning the vehicle is inherently "unroadworthy" even if it's in a perfectly safe condition), but driving to a pre-booked MOT is an exception to that rule, meaning if the vehicle is otherwise roadworthy, then the lack of MOT does not make it unroadworthy.

Conversely, having a valid MOT doesn't automatically mean your vehicle is safe and roadworthy, and if you knowingly drove your car when it was unsafe (e.g. bald tyres, you knew the brakes weren't working, etc.) and had an accident, then your insurance could be invalid.

Ultimately check your insurance policy - if it explicitly says you need to have a valid MOT, then that's a clear cut answer and you shouldn't drive it. If it just states it needs to be roadworthy, then (assuming it is actually safe and in good condition) then you should be fine.
 
Associate
Joined
1 Apr 2019
Posts
1,523
Admiral on MOT's and insurance:
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Direct Line only mention roadworthiness:
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LV are explicit about their MOT requirement:
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As are Tesco, no cover if there is not a valid MOT in place:
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Check your policy booklet.
 
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