The dreaded MOT!!

BearDy89 · May 20, 2011

Its seems after some reading and the comments on this thread.
And reading an old MOT fail slip, that it os a very grey area!, and if plod pulled you and found defects then they can prosecute just like any other time the pull you.

So to be safe IF IT FAILS DONT DRIVE IT.... unless its home to fix it, or back to a Prearranged re test.

Ryder · May 20, 2011

OK well.... common sense says that if you have had an mot test and failed... then the points that you failed on should be addressed with some urgency since they may be safety related. However, lets suppose that you fail the MOT due to a faulty indicator relay not showing up the nice green flashy light on your dash... Is this sufficiently dangerous to insist to someone who currently has an mot certificate that they should not be driving the vehicle because it is likely to kill them? Errr... probably not I would suggest.

The same principle would apply if you have an electrical fault that result in one of the two numbe rplate lights not working to its full efficiency. OK it is technically a fault, but bad enough to merit staying off the road despite have a current mot certificate? I think not.

Serious safety concerns are, of course, a different issue... but the bull**** idea that because your vehicle has failed the MOT it is by definitiona deathtrap is a little... well... bollix.

Ryder · May 20, 2011

OK well.... common sense says that if you have had an mot test and failed... then the points that you failed on should be addressed with some urgency since they may be safety related. However, lets suppose that you fail the MOT due to a faulty indicator relay not showing up the nice green flashy light on your dash... Is this sufficiently dangerous to insist to someone who currently has an mot certificate that they should not be driving the vehicle because it is likely to kill them? Errr... probably not I would suggest.

The same principle would apply if you have an electrical fault that result in one of the two numbe rplate lights not working to its full efficiency. OK it is technically a fault, but bad enough to merit staying off the road despite have a current mot certificate? I think not.

Serious safety concerns are, of course, a different issue... but the bull**** idea that because your vehicle has failed the MOT it is by definitiona deathtrap is a little... well... bollix.

Ryder · May 20, 2011

Sorry for the double post!

Clanforbes · May 21, 2011

Ryder said:
OK well.... common sense says that if you have had an mot test and failed... then the points that you failed on should be addressed with some urgency since they may be safety related. However, lets suppose that you fail the MOT due to a faulty indicator relay not showing up the nice green flashy light on your dash... Is this sufficiently dangerous to insist to someone who currently has an mot certificate that they should not be driving the vehicle because it is likely to kill them? Errr... probably not I would suggest.

The same principle would apply if you have an electrical fault that result in one of the two numbe rplate lights not working to its full efficiency. OK it is technically a fault, but bad enough to merit staying off the road despite have a current mot certificate? I think not.

Serious safety concerns are, of course, a different issue... but the bull**** idea that because your vehicle has failed the MOT it is by definitiona deathtrap is a little... well... bollix.

The voice of reason at last - I was wondering how long it would take.

Of course it's a matter of common sense. There are those who will try to milk it and drive about with their vehicle falling apart around them and those who won't move it 2" because a sidelight aint working. If you have been driving your vehicle as a daily ride and it fails for a minor problem, and assuming you still have a little of the current MOT left, then there is no reason to stop using it UNLESS it has failed for something very serious. The tester will mark upon the fail sheet if he considers this to be a dangerous fault and it would be stupid to drive it about as if nothing had happened if you get this.

To the OP, ask yourself this:
What exactly is it you are worried about?
In your own opinion, should you be driving about in it when you have such concerns?
Would you trust it on a long fast drive down the motorway?

Ham Salad · May 21, 2011

I was told if you take it in early and it fails it's failed and as they have logged it into the data on the central mot computer before they start the mot they either sign it off as pass or fail and as it's not passed it's failed and therefore has no valid mot from that point of time, before they logged it onto the computer, you could drive on the old mot, but this has changed since computerisation.

nicedayforit · May 21, 2011

As I understand it the computer record held by VOSA is the definitive record as to wether your car has a valid mot or not.
The piece of paper you get as a MOT Certificate has no legal standing.
Therefore if you take a vehicle early for an mot and it fails, you have no valid mot irrespective what your piece of paper says.
I doubt it was ever intended to work like this when the system was changed over but that is now how it stands.
Simple answer, don't take your car in "early", might as well use the full benefit of your valid mot after all there is no such thing as a 13 month mot as to achieve it you have just lost out by previously having an 11 month mot.

Ham Salad · May 21, 2011

nicedayforit said:
As I understand it the computer record held by VOSA is the definitive record as to wether your car has a valid mot or not.
The piece of paper you get as a MOT Certificate has no legal standing.
Therefore if you take a vehicle early for an mot and it fails, you have no valid mot irrespective what your piece of paper says.
I doubt it was ever intended to work like this when the system was changed over but that is now how it stands.
Simple answer, don't take your car in "early", might as well use the full benefit of your valid mot after all there is no such thing as a 13 month mot as to achieve it you have just lost out by previously having an 11 month mot.

Not quiet,if you take your car in within 30 days of the end of the current mot you have and it PASSES they can put the date of the new mot starting from the end of your current mot expiery date, so you dont lose the month, you would if it failed, dont know why you would put it in a month early though......

Ryder · May 21, 2011

Just to make the conversation interesting.... maximum penalty for driving without an MOT was always £50.00 no points/endorsements involved. Of course your insurance would be invalid if you had an accident but in practice you would never be charged with no insurance on the basis that your MOT had expired...

Having spoken to the traffic copper that lives next door to me, it seems that the police, for the most part, use their own common sense. If you are driving a pile of rust that has no mot they are likely to impound the vehicle. If the vehicle sports a current mot but their computer shows that it has just failed the mot then they will usually give the driver the benefit of the doubt unless there are other concerns. Also he said to bear in mind that the mot status can take up to two weeks to update on their screens.

The dreaded MOT!!

BearDy89

Well-Known Member

Ryder

Having a senior moment

Ryder

Having a senior moment

Ryder

Having a senior moment

Clanforbes

New Member

Ham Salad

Active Member

nicedayforit

New Member

Ham Salad

Active Member

Ryder

Having a senior moment

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