This Six Month MOT Exemption thing...
This Six Month MOT Exemption thing...
Author
Discussion

cologne2792

Original Poster:

2,151 posts

155 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
Although this is great news and a practical step forward it does create an issue.

Obviously, our vehicles still need to be roadworthy as per usual.

For many insurance companies and many of us, this will be fine and dandy.

However, some insurance companies specifically require a vehicle to be taxed, insured and MOT'd for the duration of the policy with any failure to comply rendering the policy void.

So what will happen?

Will the insurance companies automatically amend the no MOT rule from Monday, as it's no longer a legal requirement, or could we potentially get into it being a 'Civil Matter' after a claim?

anonymous-user

83 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
you mot expiry is moved 6 months, what has that got to do with insurance companies, you have a valid mot.

cologne2792

Original Poster:

2,151 posts

155 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
Thesprucegoose said:
you mot expiry is moved 6 months, what has that got to do with insurance companies, you have a valid mot.
Thank you Spruce.

Clearly my brain is in lockdown too

smile

Assuming of course that someone remembers to update the national database?

anonymous-user

83 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
i think in these times we are all working togeather so relax, all in order.

TwigtheWonderkid

49,047 posts

179 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
cologne2792 said:
However, some insurance companies specifically require a vehicle to be taxed, insured and MOT'd for the duration of the policy with any failure to comply rendering the policy void.
That was never an enforceable condition anyway. It's just there to scare you into complying. People don't realise how very hard it is for an insurer to void a policy under the rules that govern insurers, even for stuff far more serious than no MOT. Trying to void a policy for no MOT is a complete non starter.

V8fan

8,524 posts

297 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
It comes up again and again.

You're legally allowed to drive a car to and from a pre-booked MoT test without MoT or VED, and back home again. This would not be possible if your insurance was 'void.' An unroadworthy car is another matter.

cologne2792

Original Poster:

2,151 posts

155 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
V8fan said:
It comes up again and again.

You're legally allowed to drive a car to and from a pre-booked MoT test without MoT or VED, and back home again. This would not be possible if your insurance was 'void.' An unroadworthy car is another matter.
I think they all accept that as an exception to the rule V8 and clearly you, me and most of the folk on here would as well.

But I've had some very odd conditions in the past from some potential insurers:

The one that sticks in my mind was a company that not only refused off road cover for my 4wd pickup but told me, in no uncertain terms that If I ever drove it across my own field the insurance would be immediately void.
Quite how they were going to enforce that I don't know smile
Presumably if stopped in the middle of Bristol, I was to declare to an Officer," It's not insured 'gov because I once drove across a field in Dorset ". They then asked if I wished to proceed with the policy and seemed most incredulous when I descended into hysterical laughter.

I've had a deep-seated distrust of insurance companies ever since and, to be entirely fair, I didn't like them much before either.

TwigtheWonderkid

49,047 posts

179 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
People have it in their brain that if you do something illegal in your car, and you have a claim, your insurance is void. If that were true, your insurance would be void if you crashed whilst doing 75 on the motorway, or had your car stolen whilst parked on double yellow lines!

Heaveho

7,452 posts

203 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
I have a car that's been laid up for 3 years. It was driven 15 miles back to my home recently from where it was kept, via a friends garage for a quick inspection prior to being booked in for MOT locally this Friday. However they are now closed. I assume that if I can't MOT it anywhere before the end of the month, it's unusable?

TwigtheWonderkid

49,047 posts

179 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
Heaveho said:
I have a car that's been laid up for 3 years. It was driven 15 miles back to my home recently from where it was kept, via a friends garage for a quick inspection prior to being booked in for MOT locally this Friday. However they are now closed. I assume that if I can't MOT it anywhere before the end of the month, it's unusable?
Correct. The new provision extends current MOTs for 6 months, it doesn't allow a car with no MOT to be driven around for 6 months.

shovelheadrob

1,564 posts

200 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
It also says that if you're vehicle fails an mot before the new extension starts, it must pass an mot before being used on the road. If the MOT stations are closing, that could prove difficult for some.

jondude

2,441 posts

246 months

Thursday 26th March 2020
quotequote all
The next issue is when the lockdown is lifted.

My guess is Boris will say from that date (say June 17th) anyone with an MOT that needed renewal between March 30 and June 17 now still has the 6 months extension, the rest of us are back to normal.

It has been suggested we all will keep the 6 months but the garage lobby will go nuts at the lost business and they are very worried that 18 month MOTs could become the norm (as there were efforts to have the test every two years a while back, fought furiously by the garages).

V8fan

8,524 posts

297 months

Friday 27th March 2020
quotequote all
Have you read the measure introduced? It's valid for 12 months.

So any MoT expiring for the rest of the year after Monday gets an extra 6 months. Otherwise, you'll get a massive bottleneck, there are 23 million MoT tests per year.

Sheepshanks

40,995 posts

148 months

Friday 27th March 2020
quotequote all
It does seem strange it wasn’t done with immediate effect - wonder what the thinking was, it must have left a fair number of people having to scramble to find an MOT station still working?

davek_964

11,260 posts

204 months

Friday 27th March 2020
quotequote all
V8fan said:
Have you read the measure introduced? It's valid for 12 months.

So any MoT expiring for the rest of the year after Monday gets an extra 6 months. Otherwise, you'll get a massive bottleneck, there are 23 million MoT tests per year.
Ah, that might be handy. One of my cars needs an MOT in August, because it was given a new MOT when I bought it last year - but I prefer the MOT to coincide with the service (December). If I can ignore the MOT until December, that would be great.

4rephill

5,167 posts

207 months

Friday 27th March 2020
quotequote all
Heaveho said:
I have a car that's been laid up for 3 years. It was driven 15 miles back to my home recently from where it was kept, via a friends garage for a quick inspection prior to being booked in for MOT locally this Friday. However they are now closed. I assume that if I can't MOT it anywhere before the end of the month, it's unusable?
It was illegal to drive when you drove to your friends garage for a pre MOT check up.

thecremeegg

2,097 posts

232 months

Friday 27th March 2020
quotequote all
4rephill said:
It was illegal to drive when you drove to your friends garage for a pre MOT check up.
rolleyes