MOT and Insurance.
Author
Discussion

MarshPhantom

Original Poster:

9,658 posts

168 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
I just stumbled across this quite interesting site, a mine of information about improving your driving and also car related stuff too. They have advice ranging from how to reduce your car insurance, car buying guides, how to drive in snow, how to bump start a car etc.

http://www.drivingtesttips.biz/car-tips.html

One interesting piece of information was that "It's a commonly held misconception that driving without an MOT invalidates your insurance".

I'd thought this was the case myself.

MysteryLemon

4,968 posts

222 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
Driving a non MOTed car on the road would invalidate your policy as it wouldn't be deemed as roadworthy (most policies will require your car to be MOTed if being used on the road). Plus it's illegal to drive without an MOT so regardless of the insurance situation, you shouldn't do it.

It is perfectly legal to insure a car that doesn't have an MOT though. Track cars, for example, or SORNED cars. Driving them on the road would be a breach of your policy though.

MarshPhantom

Original Poster:

9,658 posts

168 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
The website says the following.

The majority of car insurance providers make no mention of an MOT and stipulate in there T&Cs that the vehicle must be in a roadworthy condition. An MOT is no guarantee that your vehicle is in roadworthy condition other than the moment you leave the MOT station with you new certificate.

KungFuPanda

4,655 posts

201 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
OP posts link to website confirming that no MOT doesn't invalidate insurance.

First reply nevertheless advises that it does invalidate insurance.

Typical PH.


Edited by KungFuPanda on Saturday 31st August 12:51

MarshPhantom

Original Poster:

9,658 posts

168 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
Here you go. Scroll down the page a bit until you get to "Does no MOT invalidate insurance"

http://www.drivingtesttips.biz/driving-without-an-...

MysteryLemon

4,968 posts

222 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
If you rang an insurance company telling them that you intend to drive on the road but the car has no MOT. They wouldn't insure you.

If your MOT ran out halfway through the policy and you chose not to renew it, I highly doubt your insurance company would cover you if you had an accident on the road.

Regardless, does it matter what a website says? It is still a legal requirement to have an MOT if you want to drive on the road, regardless if you are insured or not.

MarshPhantom

Original Poster:

9,658 posts

168 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
MysteryLemon said:
If you rang an insurance company telling them that you intend to drive on the road but the car has no MOT. They wouldn't insure you.

If your MOT ran out halfway through the policy and you chose not to renew it, I highly doubt your insurance company would cover you if you had an accident on the road.

Regardless, does it matter what a website says? It is still a legal requirement to have an MOT if you want to drive on the road, regardless if you are insured or not.
I know you need an MOT but if you're insured then the worst that can happen is £60 fine and no points, if the police ever catch you.

Edited by MarshPhantom on Saturday 31st August 13:28

reggie82

1,377 posts

209 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
MysteryLemon said:
Driving a non MOTed car on the road would invalidate your policy as it wouldn't be deemed as roadworthy
Just because you don't have an MOT, it doesn't mean your car isn't roadworthy.

Likewise, if you do have an MOT, it doesn't mean your car is roadworthy.

texaxile

3,813 posts

181 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
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I take it this applies to driving it to a pre booked MOT test after a long period of vehicle being off road?.

This will apply to me, as the Lancer Turbo is almost finished (and currently insured anyway) and will be presented for a ticket within a month or so. However, if having no MOT invalidates said policy, would I be better off just trailering it to the testing station, just in case?. (I had intended to drive it).

Meoricin

2,880 posts

200 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
As with all of these questions, it can vary from insurer to insurer. Read your policy documents, and if you still don't understand - ring them and ask.

Anything else is foolish.

MarshPhantom

Original Poster:

9,658 posts

168 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
texaxile said:
I take it this applies to driving it to a pre booked MOT test after a long period of vehicle being off road?.

This will apply to me, as the Lancer Turbo is almost finished (and currently insured anyway) and will be presented for a ticket within a month or so. However, if having no MOT invalidates said policy, would I be better off just trailering it to the testing station, just in case?. (I had intended to drive it).
If you have pre-booked appointment at the MOT station you are OK to drive there without a ticket anyway.

vonhosen

40,597 posts

248 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
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The important thing if your MOT runs out is that it doesn't mean you have no insurance. This is because it doesn't allow your insurer to avoid their 3rd party liabilities. That's why you still have insurance in law, as you still have the minimum cover required by law.
That doesn't mean that if you trash your car your insurer will cover your car fully comp though, it just means they'll still have to meet the 3rd party cover liability. It also doesn't mean that they won't seek to recover from you any money they have to pay out in relation to 3rd party liabilities.

MarshPhantom

Original Poster:

9,658 posts

168 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
I've found it explained in far more detail here. It basically says that unless you have a crash that could be put down to not having to not having an MOT then you should be fine.

It also states that the insurers can't back out of paying any third parties affected by the accident no matter what.

http://www.drivingtesttips.biz/no-mot-invalid-insu...

Also, if you get done by the Bib for having no MOT shouldn't that mean they would do you for no insurance too.

TwigtheWonderkid

49,233 posts

181 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
MysteryLemon said:
If you rang an insurance company telling them that you intend to drive on the road but the car has no MOT. They wouldn't insure you.
If you rang your insurance company saying you intend to drive too close to the car in front, they wouldn't insure you. That doesn't mean your policy is invalidated if you crash into the back of someone!

Not having an MOT does not invalidate your insurance. The OP is quite right. If your car is a write off, they may make a lower offer, as the market value of a car with no MOT is lower than one with. That's fair enough.

I know 2 people who have had total loss claims with no MOT (innocently overlooked). One was a theft claim. Both were paid out, one with a 10% reduction, the other a 15% reduction, due to no MOT.

MarshPhantom

Original Poster:

9,658 posts

168 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
Whenever I apply for an insurance quote they never ask if the car has an MOT.

andyps

7,819 posts

313 months

Saturday 31st August 2013
quotequote all
I was trying to add my daughter's old mini to the multi-car policy we have so she could retain her no claims bonus. I made the mistake of saying that it did not have an MOT so there was no risk to them as it wouldn't be going anywhere. The agent said that he wasn't sure they could insure a car without an MOT so checked with the underwriters - they said that they would only insure it if it was MOT'd within 7 days. I pointed out that one of the cars on the policy had not had a test for 3 months without them knowing and no problems for them but they said that a they weren't told they couldn't do anything about it.

Apparently the reason for their stance was that the car might get driven without an MOT and they weren't prepared to take that risk. Pointing out that there was no way that would happen as it would be illegal and the car would not have tax didn't make any difference.

TwigtheWonderkid

49,233 posts

181 months

Sunday 1st September 2013
quotequote all
andyps said:
Apparently the reason for their stance was that the car might get driven without an MOT and they weren't prepared to take that risk.
The fact that they weren't prepared to take that risk shows that they would be at risk, in other words, cover would be valid.

londonbabe

2,160 posts

223 months

Sunday 1st September 2013
quotequote all
MysteryLemon said:
Regardless, does it matter what a website says? It is still a legal requirement to have an MOT if you want to drive on the road, regardless if you are insured or not.
No it isn't.
If your car is older than 1960 there is no longer any legal requirement to have an MoT.
If your car is newer than 3 years old there has never been any requirement to have an MoT.
There are other categories of motor vehicle that do not need MoTs.
If you are driving to a pre-booked MoT test there is no requirement to have an MoT, or VED for that matter.
If you are returning from a failed MoT test there is no requirement to have an MoT or VED.
If you are taking your MoT failure to have failure points fixed there is no requirement to have an MoT or VED.

None of these situations will invalidate your insurance.

Riley Blue

23,214 posts

257 months

Sunday 1st September 2013
quotequote all
londonbabe said:
MysteryLemon said:
Regardless, does it matter what a website says? It is still a legal requirement to have an MOT if you want to drive on the road, regardless if you are insured or not.
No it isn't.
If your car is older than 1960 there is no longer any legal requirement to have an MoT.
If your car is newer than 3 years old there has never been any requirement to have an MoT.
There are other categories of motor vehicle that do not need MoTs.
If you are driving to a pre-booked MoT test there is no requirement to have an MoT, or VED for that matter.
If you are returning from a failed MoT test there is no requirement to have an MoT or VED.
If you are taking your MoT failure to have failure points fixed there is no requirement to have an MoT or VED.

None of these situations will invalidate your insurance.
Beat me to it - there are thousands of of vehicles for which an MOT is not required; the ignorance shown on PH sometimes is breathtaking.

McWigglebum4th

32,414 posts

235 months

Sunday 1st September 2013
quotequote all
MysteryLemon said:
If you rang an insurance company telling them that you intend to drive on the road but the car has no MOT. They wouldn't insure you.

If your MOT ran out halfway through the policy and you chose not to renew it, I highly doubt your insurance company would cover you if you had an accident on the road.

Regardless, does it matter what a website says? It is still a legal requirement to have an MOT if you want to drive on the road, regardless if you are insured or not.
Okay

Should i tell me wife to stop driving her car as it does;'t have an MOT and won't for another 2 years

Should i not drive my unimog on the road as it doesn't have an MOT and niether does my lawnmower which is also road registered

And can you give me the name of a good transport company to take my landrover to the nearest MOT station as it has run out