Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[petermeachem]

I sorned my car in April and the mot has since run out. I've just been trying to tax it, dvla says it doesn't exist? Do I need an MOT before taxing it? If so, is it ok to drive to the mot garage?

[misterbridger]

Yes, you need an MOT before taxing the car. As long as you have valid insurance you can drive it to the MoT station and back again as long as the test has been pre-booked.

[Minxy]

I'm assuming it is of an age where it needs an MOT? You need to have an appointment booked and be driving the car on a direct route to the MOT garage which also needs to be close to you.
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Hillman minx convertible. Lanchester LD 10

[petermeachem]

Oh good. Mot place is just down the road. I suppose the car does not exist message is a programming error and should have said you can't tax it because it has no Mot.
Does not seem easy to ring the dvla. I rang a number and got a message This number is not in use but lots of people ring it. Fixing the web page would surely have been simpler.
Thanks to all, I thought this was a good place to ask

[alastairq]

[Riley Blue]

Thanks for writing the clarification Alastair, I was about to do the same for the second time today. There are so many errors written about what you can and can't do if your car fails its MOT that I now add a link to the government website: https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/after-the-test
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David

1963 Riley 1.5
1965 Riley 1.5

[Minxy]

For my part I would take no unnecessary risks at all.

The polices standing on this is that 'the distance be kept as short as possible'. They also 'suggest' that on unnecessary diversion from the route to the test station 'it may be held that you are using the vehicle for other purposes and the above exemption won't apply'. With respect if was taking a vehicle for an MOT and it required fuel I would nip out and get a couple of gallon in a can. Let's not forget either that whatever the circumstances it's an offence to drive a vehicle that is is not roadworthy (as per the last sentence in the GOV.UK link)and if you are stopped by the police you can, and will, be prosecuted.

In all I would always, personally, look to mitigate risk but each to their own.
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Hillman minx convertible. Lanchester LD 10

[alastairq]

In the end, it isn't what the Police Officer thinks, or does not think about the matter..

It is for the Court to decide as to whether the individual's actions are reasonable or not, for the circumstances.

That means, a Magistrate, or, if the argument were taken higher, a Judge.

There is no risk associated with the situation.

Other than from misconceptions on the part of the individuals concerned.

[colwyn500]

For my first MOT after restoration, my car was not registered on the DVLA database and had no number or plates fitted. It was specifically insured for the journey to an MOT, ie. I had written confirmation that this was covered, but it was obviously untaxed.
There was widespread flooding of the roads on the way to the pre-booked and pre-paid MOT so I was forced to choose my own local diversions on my 17 mile journey. At one point I was heading well away from the MOT centre for three miles; I was also driving about almost an hour after my appointment.
After passing the test I took a convoluted and indirect route home because the engine wasn't run-in and my speed was restricted; I also wanted to make the most of my driving treat as there was likely to be a long wait before it was registered.
The Police could have taken one of many opportunities to stop me but at all times I would have been able to give a reasoned argument for my actions. I don't think it is likely that a classic car driver, genuinely not trying to avoid any due taxes or testing, would ever be successfully prosecuted on the day of an MOT.
I think that with a modern car the Law would be applied more literally!

[MikeEdwards]

[Riley Blue]

From what I was told in the pub last night the likelihood of being nabbed for no MOT is pretty slim. A friend confessed that he'd just made a huge blunder with one of his cars when he went to renew its VED on-line on Sunday and discovered its MOT had expired a few days into September!
He reckoned he'd driven at least 300-400 miles since then including 40 mile trips on the M1, around city centres and almost daily around town. I suppose he might receive a buff envelope containing a NIP any time now but no one thought he would - time will tell...
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David

1963 Riley 1.5
1965 Riley 1.5

[Minxy]

As I said I would be looking to mitigate risk. I agree one could drive a dodgy car for months and have no issues at all, on the other hand.........

A case of point - many years ago I did some work at a spealist tuning centre in Leamington Spa. After extensive work on a Golf GTI I took it for road test, quarter of a mile up the road I was stopped by a police car and issued a ticket/ fine for driving a car with incorrect font on the number plate ( it was in italics). In fairness the customer paid the fine on my behalf but he was amazed because the plates had been on the car for years and he lived and worked in London where the car was on the street 24/7.

As my sister ( She is a lawyer) always used to tell her clients ' win or loose you can have your day in court'. I think I would rather avoid it altogether and use common sense.
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Hillman minx convertible. Lanchester LD 10

[Riley Blue]

[Peter_L]

We have a very simple system here, in fact so easy there is no way the British
bureaucracy system could ever adopt it.

Road Tax. Apply on line and get stickers through the mail. Attach to number plates. Easy for the law enforcers to read. Stickers are not sent if there is no record of insurance. Between application and receipt a downloaded receipt does the job if one is pulled over.

Safety. Annual inspection. A coloured sticker, this year is green, with month number punched out. Attach to windscreen.

Trailers also have to have a "tax" 6 months for $25 and an annual safety. Trailers carry their own licence/number plate. If they have a safety sticker and a valid plate, it can be any trailer if it is close to description.

[alastairq]

The UK had something similar which was junked for cost reasons.

Now, using technology [fixed camera sites, mobile vans, ANPR, etc] it is possible to identify if a vehicle has ''tax'' [which it is not....its an Excise Duty]...insurance and a valid MoT.

Enforcement is now all pretty much electronic.

In reality, an MoT really is only valid, on its day-of-issue.

Each driver has a Duty to ensure their vehicle is roadworthy, in legal terms [rather than, opinion?}

Trouble is, folk have become too reliant on the presence of a current MoT as an indication of actual road-worthiness.

Many will buy a car with a long MoT , in the belief they will not have to pay for repair or service for that period.

I recently read on of the tabloid-type Classic [yuk!!] car papers, in which opinion was being expounded over the current MoT-or-not issues we are facing in the UK.

The 'ead of the Oi OI presented a very sensible, factual view, which I agreed with......and opinion was also sought from the various Insurers involved in our world.

Some, presented a very sensible, well grounded view, identifying the legal and practical facts f the matter.

Others presented what amounted to a lay-person's viewpoint, strong on emotive, weak-on-fact, opinion.

Perhaps all a reason why I, personally, belong in the camp of 'go' rather than 'show?'