The past few months have been a confusing time for all of us. It looks like booking your MOT test was one of the things we struggled with.
The missed MOT stats
Research by Kwik Fit shows that 9% of drivers booking their MOT in the last 6 months booked it three or more weeks after their current MOT has expired. This is a big rise compared to only 3% of drivers in the whole of 2019.
On top of that, 64% were aware that their MOT had expired but carried on driving.
20% believed that they wouldn’t be stopped as the police would be busy with other matters, or that the vehicle was in a good enough condition that the Police wouldn’t spot it.
29% of drivers were worried about the necessary repair costs needed from an MOT so simply didn’t get it done.
24% were feeling confused about the MOT extension that was introduced in 2020.
26% of drivers would like to see the laws change so that authorities are able to impound any cars being driven without a valid MOT certificate. This sentiment increases in the Yorkshire and Humber region with 35% of motorists wanting to see cars impounded.
Some 14% believe that drivers without an MOT should be given a driving ban of at least six months, and another 12% would like to see the courts increase the fines from the current £1,000 to up to £2,000.
It’s not all doom and gloom though! As well as the number of drivers driving illegally for failing to book their MOT, there has also been an increase in drivers booking well in advance. The number of drivers booking their MOT up to three weeks in advance has tripled.
Why has this happened?
One reason that may be the cause of this is the MOT extension that was brought in at the first lockdown. This has thrown many drivers off, especially those who have been used to having their MOT in a certain month for a long time. For those who had a June MOT and took advantage of the six-month extension, they are now having to worry about repair and MOT bills in December, the most expensive month of the year.
What this means for other drivers is that unfortunately, there is an increase in illegal cars on the roads. Remember that without a valid MOT, your insurance is likely to be void so if you have an incident then you won’t be covered by your insurer.
What can you do if you’ve missed your MOT?
If you’re worried about a missed MOT, the best thing to do is to find out when your MOT is due which you can see here > https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/. If your MOT has expired, you need to book an appointment as soon as possible. You are only legally allowed to drive your car to the MOT station without a valid MOT. But if you still have time before this expires, add the MOT expiry date to your calendar, and set a reminder up a few weeks before. Remember that the date is the date it expires, so you must have it renewed before then! It’s also worth considering the fact that you may need extra work completed to get your car through the test too. You can book your MOT for up to a month (minus one day) before the expiry date. For example, if your MOT is due on the 14th of April, you can book your MOT for the 15th of March and keep the same expiry date.
What do we recommend?
We strongly recommend booking your MOT as quickly as possible, especially if you took the MOT extension in 2020. MOTs used to be fairly equally spread out across the year however, there’s been a seismic shift. A huge percentage of expiry dates have been moved to the last 6 months of the year making it much harder to find an available slot. We like to keep you informed, so we’ll send a reminder 30 days before your expiry date so you have plenty of time to get booked in. If you are ready you can book your MOT online or call our team on the numbers below.
We also always recommend booking your annual service with your MOT. It does mean a bit more spend in one month but it means your car is healthy and ready to go for another year! Remember, that the MOT only checks the roadworthiness of your car and doesn’t take into consideration its health. You can see more about our servicing levels and why they are important here.