With an estimated 32 million cars currently licenced in the UK, safety on our roads is paramount. And getting your vehicle’s MOT – or the Ministry of Transport test – certificate plays an essential part.
If your vehicle is more than three years old, it will need to be tested annually so it can be issued with a valid MOT certificate. Without an MOT certificate, it is illegal to drive the vehicle on the road.
We look at what an MOT entails and how you can ensure you have the peace of mind that you are driving a safe and legal vehicle.
The importance of an MOT
First introduced back in the 1960s, an MOT certificate indicates a vehicle’s basic level of roadworthiness. If a vehicle is more than three years old, it will require an annual MOT certificate to ensure that it meets the minimum legal requirements for environmental and road safety standards.
The MOT records a vehicle’s condition at a specific time to ensure it is structurally sound and working as it should. As part of the MOT, your vehicle may also receive a list of areas for attention – either minor or advisory – which should be rectified in the future. Provided your vehicle passes its MOT, it can continue to be driven on the road. Its MOT pass will also be logged on to the Department of Transport database.
There are a small number of vehicles that don’t require an MOT certificate and can still be driven legally on the road. These include cars, vans and motorcycles that are over 40 years old and have not been substantially modified. Electric-powered tractors and goods vehicles registered before March 1, 2015, are also exempt.
What checks are included in an MOT?
An MOT doesn’t check every aspect of a vehicle but is intended as an annual maintenance check on all vehicles over the age of three years. A qualified MOT tester will carry out certain checks on a vehicle, which includes:
- Lights
- Brakes
- The fuel system
- Exhaust
- Seatbelt
- Windscreen wipers.
Exhaust emissions on most vehicles will also be part of the MOT test.
However, an MOT tester will not look at the engine, clutch or gearbox – although you still need to ensure these are all in good working order as a vehicle that cannot be driven onto an inspection ramp will fail its MOT immediately.
Another important point to note is that an MOT pass does not indicate that your car will be deemed roadworthy for the full year covered by the MOT certificate. It remains the driver’s responsibility to ensure the vehicle remains maintained and in good working order.
What happens if a car fails its MOT?
If your vehicle fails its MOT and its current test certificate has expired, it will be illegal for you to drive it away from the test centre. In this case the vehicle will be issued with a ‘refusal of MOT certificate’ notice.
Only once the fails have been rectified and a valid MOT certificate is issued, will the vehicle be considered legally roadworthy.
However, if your car’s current MOT certificate is still valid – i.e., you had the new MOT conducted before the old certificate’s expiry date – you will be able to drive it, as long as there are no major or dangerous defects listed during the latest MOT. You then have until the expiry date of the current MOT to get the failure faults fixed and the car re-tested.
Can you check the MOT history of a car?
With all this in mind, it is essential that you only ever drive a vehicle that has a current and valid MOT certificate. And, knowing the history of any car, especially if you are buying a used vehicle, is key to safe and stress-free motoring.
To be sure of your current or potential new vehicle’s history, our MOT status checker can prove invaluable. By simply entering your vehicle registration number, you can find a wealth of information on a vehicle’s MOT history so you can be sure of its legal status as a roadworthy vehicle.
What if you drive a car without an MOT?
Excluding the few that are exempt (which we covered earlier), it is illegal to drive a vehicle without a valid MOT certificate. If you do, you could be liable for a fine of up to £2,500. You could also face a police caution as well as points on your driving licence. Should the vehicle be involved in a road traffic accident; your insurance could be invalidated, and you could even face prosecution and a driving ban in the most severe cases.
