Driving to MOT test centre with no MOT not direct route

[LoonR1]

NiceCupOfTea said:

I'm not making an argument! All I'm saying is that people are a lot less prepared to take risks with things like this due to the chances of being caught "bang to rights" by a camera. The irony being of course that a lot of the really dangerous stuff can't be caught by cameras!

I am sure you're right about the risks with an MOT, but it's still a gamble.

How is it a gamble? You are allowed to take it to a pre booked MOT. Topping on the way is not going to change where your destination is.

I really think this website is starting to get populated by more and more paranoid weirdos.

[Stu R]

One of my motors always went to South Wales for an MOT. From Durham.

Never failed, I always came back with a rotten hangover though.

[Variomatic]

LoonR1 said:

But there's loads of discretion. I defy you to show me anyone who has been done for 75 in a 70 limit (vans don't count as its a 60 limit for them).

Come on, Loon, a fixed allowance isn't the same as discretion.

Discretion is when some brummie policeman pulls an 18 y/o me over doing 120-ish, at 4 in the morning on a newly opened and car-free M42, and sent me away with a flea in my ear about the aggro he'd suffer if I killed myself on his watch.

Discretion is about making a value judgement based on all the circumstances (including my reaction to the bking), which a camera can't do.

[TooMany2cvs]

The Mad Monk said:

That's not a jerry can, that's a petrol can.

<sigh> Yes, I know that. I've got enough of the damn things, of both types (plus metal 10l)

My point was more that the OP doesn't need a 20l metal jerry, he only needs a plastic 5l.

[andrew]

book your car in for another mot somewhere on the far side of the petrol station
then cancel after filling-up with petrol

[NiceCupOfTea]

LoonR1 said:

How is it a gamble? You are allowed to take it to a pre booked MOT. Topping on the way is not going to change where your destination is.

I really think this website is starting to get populated by more and more paranoid weirdos.

You really are like a dog with a bone. It's a gamble as it could be argued that you were on your way to the petrol station, and there are all sorts of variables like how far out of the way is the petrol station, etc. It may not be a big gamble in your expert opinion, but it clearly is or this thread wouldn't exist!

Oh, and FYI I was a paranoid weirdo on this site a long time before you signed up new boy, so there

[btcc123]

NiceCupOfTea said:

You really are like a dog with a bone. It's a gamble as it could be argued that you were on your way to the petrol station, and there are all sorts of variables like how far out of the way is the petrol station, etc. It may not be a big gamble in your expert opinion, but it clearly is or this thread wouldn't exist!

Oh, and FYI I was a paranoid weirdo on this site a long time before you signed up new boy, so there

Try reading all the posts as it will help you with the answers to your questions.

It could also be argued that you were on the way for a pre booked MOT if you had the paperwork to prove it in your car.If the MOT had run out on your car then it could be low on petrol so their would not be a problem to get petrol on the way to the MOT station as I am sure you would buy petrol nearest to the route on the way to the MOT station.

You dont need rely on a friendly policeman with discretion as the law allows you to do this.

[Corbeliere]

This might be a record, but last year I drove 532 miles to the MOT appointment.
That was from France to Cheshire via the tunnel. No problems encountered either.
I was surprised not to get pinged by ANPR though.

[TooMany2cvs]

btcc123 said:

It could also be argued that you were on the way for a pre booked MOT if you had the paperwork to prove it in your car.

What "paperwork"? I've always booked MOTs on the phone - the only paperwork there might be from that is a scribbled note of the time & date in my illegible handwriting.

[Variomatic]

TooMany2cvs said:

What "paperwork"? I've always booked MOTs on the phone - the only paperwork there might be from that is a scribbled note of the time & date in my illegible handwriting.

There isn't any usually, but it's a good idea to make sure the MOT centre has taken the make, model and registration number of the car (they don't always take full details - especially the reg number).

Then make sure you have the name and phone number of the MOT station with you - "you know, officer, the little one just behind Tesco" won't really impress them! If it's a retest after fail them make sure you've got the fail sheet from the first one, even if you're outside the 10 days and have t pay for another full test.

One phonecall will allow them to confirm what you're saying.

[btcc123]

TooMany2cvs said:

btcc123 said:

It could also be argued that you were on the way for a pre booked MOT if you had the paperwork to prove it in your car.

What "paperwork"? I've always booked MOTs on the phone - the only paperwork there might be from that is a scribbled note of the time & date in my illegible handwriting.

I normally book the MOT for my cars with Halfords Autocentres as they have a lot of deals and normally get them at half price.

I book on their website and can get an MOT booked for 2 or 3 days time.They E-mail the conformation that I file in my E-mail cars bits and peices folder.I never let my MOT run out but if I did I would have the E-mail conformation printed off and in the car with me.

[Tunku]

I can remember the old days, postal mots when I was running British bikes.

[Roo]

Tunku said:

I can remember the old days, postal mots when I was running British bikes.

Owner of the MOT centre next to the garage I used to run came round one day and asked for our fax number.

He was waiting for a list of cars that needed MOT certificates.

[CAPP0]

Corbeliere said:

This might be a record, but last year I drove 532 miles to the MOT appointment.
That was from France to Cheshire via the tunnel. No problems encountered either.
I was surprised not to get pinged by ANPR though.

Stu R said:

One of my motors always went to South Wales for an MOT. From Durham.

Never failed, I always came back with a rotten hangover though.

I've had this discussion on here before and don't expect to win it this time either but if I were BIB and encountered either of you doing this, I'd stick you on.

To me, driving a ridiculously-long distance to get an MOT implies that you're heading for somewhere which is a known (to you) soft-touch. I'm not saying that anyone MUST drive to the MOT station closest by road or straight line nearest to the start of their un-MOTd journey, but if you have passed 2 or 3, 6, maybe 10, MOT stations before you're even a tenth of the way into your journey, then you're taking the piss. I know, because the PHedants have pointed it out tirelessly, that the regs don't state how far away the MOT station should be (maybe they should…), but as I say, if you drive past a large number of them and don't stop at any for no good reason other than that you fancy a long drive in your currently-unlawful vehicle from one end of the country to the other, then I maintain that you're taking the piss, and if you DO get stopped, as my BiL did doing exactly this, then you shouldn't come back here whining about the subsequent fine and asking which loophole you can try and use to get away with it.

In answer to the OP, my thoughts would be, if you divert away from the route to the MOT station by a mile or two to get petrol, then you're doing something entirely reasonable in order to enable you to get the car tested. If, however, you drive from London to Brighton to fill up "on your way" to your MOT in Birmingham…...

[Red Devil]

CAPP0 said:

I've had this discussion on here before and don't expect to win it this time either but if I were BIB and encountered either of you doing this, I'd stick you on.

Fortunately you're not, otherwise you might risk ending up embarrassed.

CAPP0 said:

To me, driving a ridiculously-long distance to get an MOT implies that you're heading for somewhere which is a known (to you) soft-touch. I'm not saying that anyone MUST drive to the MOT station closest by road or straight line nearest to the start of their un-MOTd journey, but if you have passed 2 or 3, 6, maybe 10, MOT stations before you're even a tenth of the way into your journey, then you're taking the piss. I know, because the PHedants have pointed it out tirelessly, that the regs don't state how far away the MOT station should be (maybe they should…), but as I say, if you drive past a large number of them and don't stop at any for no good reason other than that you fancy a long drive in your currently-unlawful vehicle from one end of the country to the other, then I maintain that you're taking the piss, and if you DO get stopped, as my BiL did doing exactly this, then you shouldn't come back here whining about the subsequent fine and asking which loophole you can try and use to get away with it.

It's nothing to do with wanting a jolly. Nor is about a soft touch. It's about getting the MOT done by a tester whom I trust not rip me off with a creative approach to fault finding in order to carry out unnecessary work to boost the profits of the establishment he works for. There are only two places with the requisite knowledge that I trust to work on my car should it fail (neither do MOTs). Both are over 50 miles from where I live so the test needs to be carried out locally to where they are located just in case.

However much you may not like it there is nothing in the legislation which gives the police the power to charge me with not having a current valid MOT if I am on my way to a previously booked test. If Parliament had desired to impose the limitation you so ardently wish for the legislation would have been drafted accordingly or subsequently amended. I wasn't, and hasn't been, because the government is sensible enough to understand that restricting freedom of choice to that extent would be not only untenable but it would also be unworkable. I challenge you to come up with draft wording to give effect to what you propose.

You post implies that after being stopped your BiL was issued with a FPN or taken to court. Was he? And, if so, did he just roll over without a fight?

CAPP0 said:

In answer to the OP, my thoughts would be, if you divert away from the route to the MOT station by a mile or two to get petrol, then you're doing something entirely reasonable in order to enable you to get the car tested. If, however, you drive from London to Brighton to fill up "on your way" to your MOT in Birmingham…...

You haven't added anything to the discussion with this. The case which deals with stopping off en route has already been quoted earlier in this thread. Please point me to anyone who has suggested doing anything as nonsensical as your London->Brighton->Birmingham scenario.

[Stu R]

Ò

CAPP0 said:

Corbeliere said:

This might be a record, but last year I drove 532 miles to the MOT appointment.
That was from France to Cheshire via the tunnel. No problems encountered either.
I was surprised not to get pinged by ANPR though.

Stu R said:

One of my motors always went to South Wales for an MOT. From Durham.

Never failed, I always came back with a rotten hangover though.

I've had this discussion on here before and don't expect to win it this time either but if I were BIB and encountered either of you doing this, I'd stick you on.

To me, driving a ridiculously-long distance to get an MOT implies that you're heading for somewhere which is a known (to you) soft-touch. I'm not saying that anyone MUST drive to the MOT station closest by road or straight line nearest to the start of their un-MOTd journey, but if you have passed 2 or 3, 6, maybe 10, MOT stations before you're even a tenth of the way into your journey, then you're taking the piss. I know, because the PHedants have pointed it out tirelessly, that the regs don't state how far away the MOT station should be (maybe they should…), but as I say, if you drive past a large number of them and don't stop at any for no good reason other than that you fancy a long drive in your currently-unlawful vehicle from one end of the country to the other, then I maintain that you're taking the piss, and if you DO get stopped, as my BiL did doing exactly this, then you shouldn't come back here whining about the subsequent fine and asking which loophole you can try and use to get away with it.

In answer to the OP, my thoughts would be, if you divert away from the route to the MOT station by a mile or two to get petrol, then you're doing something entirely reasonable in order to enable you to get the car tested. If, however, you drive from London to Brighton to fill up "on your way" to your MOT in Birmingham…...

No argument here. I had a car at the time that should have been tested as having no cats, but computer says no testers would test it incorrectly due to age.

I simply chose to go to a trusted place knowing the car was in otherwise fine fettle and totally roadworthy, so I could enjoy a night out with a mate afterwards and chase dirty valley girls.

Thankfully taking the piss isn't written into law and I've got a good brief

[CAPP0]

Red Devil said:

Lots of defensive stuff, rather vehemently

Touchy! Wonder why....

[allergictocheese]

Concentrate on the word 'purpose'. If the purpose of the journey is only to get to or from the MOT, you're ok. If the purpose of the journey includes something else, it isn't. Stopping to fill up with fuel because without it you couldn't make the journey doesn't alter or add something else to its purpose.

[carlove]

For anyone curious it got to the MOT centre fine and then failed.

[LoonR1]

carlove said:

For anyone curious it got to the MOT centre fine and then failed.

I take it that we'll be getting a thread about how you get it back home now, especially as the petrol is now evaporating and pushing your VED rate up.