towing
Author
Discussion

_dobbo_

Original Poster:

14,619 posts

269 months

Saturday 17th January 2004
quotequote all
can any of our resident BiBs (or anyone who knows the answer) tell me whether it is illegal to tow a car with no Tax or MOT? I suspect it is, but would like to know for sure!

Thanks!

Byff

4,427 posts

282 months

Saturday 17th January 2004
quotequote all
It is illegal to have the vehicle on the road without tax unless it's to go for a pre-booked MOT in order to get taxed.

_dobbo_

Original Poster:

14,619 posts

269 months

Saturday 17th January 2004
quotequote all
thanks! That gets me out of a horrible job this afternoon, phew!

ben789

126 posts

284 months

Saturday 17th January 2004
quotequote all
Byff said:
It is illegal to have the vehicle on the road without tax unless it's to go for a pre-booked MOT in order to get taxed.


But if the car in question is on a trailer then it isn’t on the road, and thus can have no tax/etc. and can legally be moved around (while on the trailer).

Byff

4,427 posts

282 months

Sunday 18th January 2004
quotequote all
ben789 said:

Byff said:
It is illegal to have the vehicle on the road without tax unless it's to go for a pre-booked MOT in order to get taxed.



But if the car in question is on a trailer then it isn’t on the road, and thus can have no tax/etc. and can legally be moved around (while on the trailer).


You're quite right.

g_attrill

8,655 posts

267 months

Sunday 18th January 2004
quotequote all
It's also legal to tow a car without MOT or tax if it's on it's way to be scrapped.

Gareth

cortinaman

3,230 posts

274 months

Sunday 18th January 2004
quotequote all
out of interest would i be correct in thinking that i could buy a car in john o groats,i could then drive the car down to lands end to a pre-booked mot....as long as i go directly there??

>> Edited by cortinaman on Sunday 18th January 03:02

streaky

19,311 posts

270 months

Sunday 18th January 2004
quotequote all
cortinaman said:
out of interest would i be correct in thinking that i could buy a car in john o groats,i could then drive the car down to lands end to a pre-booked mot....as long as i go directly there?
You might be correct in your thinking (someone else will give a definitive answer), but I would question whether you'd be right in your head.

Derek Smith

48,486 posts

269 months

Sunday 18th January 2004
quotequote all
cortinaman said:
out of interest would i be correct in thinking that i could buy a car in john o groats,i could then drive the car down to lands end to a pre-booked mot....as long as i go directly there??

No, you can't. Lands End doesn't have an MoT testing station.

Derek

Tafia

2,658 posts

269 months

Sunday 18th January 2004
quotequote all
_dobbo_ said:
can any of our resident BiBs (or anyone who knows the answer) tell me whether it is illegal to tow a car with no Tax or MOT? I suspect it is, but would like to know for sure!

Thanks!



I asked this question of staff at North Wales police HQ many years ago. I needed to know to find a way of getting a car home from a fleet auction.

I also asked if it was legal to tow a non-taxed and MOT'd car with an A-Frame or with a 'spectacle frame', i.e with the two front wheels off the ground. They didn't know !!!!

They said they would call me back. So far, nothing.

A mechanic told me if any part of a car was on the road, then it must be taxed and MOT'd.

Trust the mechanic.


streaky

19,311 posts

270 months

Sunday 18th January 2004
quotequote all
Derek Smith said:

cortinaman said:
out of interest would i be correct in thinking that i could buy a car in john o groats,i could then drive the car down to lands end to a pre-booked mot....as long as i go directly there??


No, you can't. Lands End doesn't have an MoT testing station.

Derek
Nearest one is M4y0n G4r4g3 in Sennen, approximately one mile from Land's End on the A30 - Streaky

Dwight VanDriver

6,583 posts

265 months

Sunday 18th January 2004
quotequote all
Just to confirm that under Schedule 2, (22) Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994, a vehicle is exempt Excise Duty when it is being used SOLELY for the purpose of submitting it for a PRE ARRANGED Mot, or vehicle weight check, or bringing it away.

One can see where an argument could be made on the circs described above under Solely.

Of interest is Cobb v Whorton 1971 which stated there is no exemption from Duty when a vehicle
is being towed on a road repairable at public expense even when the towing vehicles has a Licence.
But, if it can be said that it was no longer in such condition, that it could be classed as a mechanically propelled vehicle, then no license required.

Towing on a "dolly" as described would seem to offend the Excise Act as under Holliday v Henry 1974 a motor vehicle seperated from the road surface by a roller skate under each wheel is nevertheless on a road. By dolly the rear wheels would be "using " the road.

The question of Insurance has not been raised but on a straight forward tow of a broken down vehicle that remains a mpv then it also has to be Insured Cobb v Wharton 1971 and Nichol v Leach 1973

Towing to scrap yard, providing the vehicle was no longer roadworthy propulsionwise and no intention by the owner to put it back on the road then cannot be classed as an mpv so No Tax, MOT, Insurance applies.

Speed Cameras are more simple?

DVD

zcacogp

11,239 posts

265 months

Monday 19th January 2004
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Fow what it's worth, some time ago I towed a very obviously unroadworthy car from the Lake District to Worcestershire on an A-frame, behind a Golf. We sported a fully-operational light bar behind the towed car and drove carefully. The journey took about 4 1/2 hours, and we stopped for a break at a service station on the M6. I wasn't sure of the legality, and had mild palpatations when a police range rover stopped alongside us in the service station car park. Two BiB's jumped out, nodded at me, asked what sort of car it was (Ashley Sportiva) and nipped in for a coffee.

I assumed from this that it was legal.


Oli.