No MOT can an endorsement be avoided?

[confusedmix]

Hi all,

My friend was stopped by the police for a random check and found that she did not have an MOT certificate. She told me that she totally forgot about renewing her MOT and that it had expired 2 months ago and unfortunately the police caught her. Anyway i was reading the daily express newspaper and their was a full page spread about a book on what to do if you are ever stopped by the police and how to legally get rid of penalty points, and there was also something about 'learn the truth about MOT certificates and why we actually need them' this isn't the exact quote as i can't remember and do not have the paper to hand.

Anyway, has anyone actually bought and read this book? Is it worth buying and what is the REAL truth about MOT's.

I would be greatful for your replies as my friend is worried that she is going to get penalty points and a fine. Is there any way that she can avoid the endorsement on her license as she genuinely forgot to renew her MOT.

[sturll]

Hi all,

My friend was stopped by the police for a random check and found that she did not have an MOT certificate. She told me that she totally forgot about renewing her MOT and that it had expired 2 months ago and unfortunately the police caught her. Anyway i was reading the daily express newspaper and their was a full page spread about a book on what to do if you are ever stopped by the police and how to legally get rid of penalty points, and there was also something about 'learn the truth about MOT certificates and why we actually need them' this isn't the exact quote as i can't remember and do not have the paper to hand.

Anyway, has anyone actually bought and read this book? Is it worth buying and what is the REAL truth about MOT's.

I would be greatful for your replies as my friend is worried that she is going to get penalty points and a fine. Is there any way that she can avoid the endorsement on her license as she genuinely forgot to renew her MOT.

The real truth is that an MOT is a safety check for not just your friends safety but that of any passengers or any other road user. She got caught out and for me its comforting to know she is now being forced to get her car checked.

She should take it on the chin and make sure next time she remembers.

[hewhoisnotintheknow]

points and a fine hopefully

[ohreally]

If she is offered a fixed penalty, the fine is £60 and it's non endorsable (iirc)

[Conor]

Is it worth buying and what is the REAL truth about MOT's.

I would be greatful for your replies as my friend is worried that she is going to get penalty points and a fine. Is there any way that she can avoid the endorsement on her license as she genuinely forgot to renew her MOT.

The MOT is for stupid forgetful muppets like her who "forget" to bother doing basic checks and getting their car serviced to make sure at least once a year the deathtrap they're driving is given a safety inspection.

Yes she is quite right to be worried about getting penalty points and a fine because that's exactly what is going to happen. There is no way to avoid it and "I forgot" is not a defence.

I hope she doesn't "forget" to notify her insurers of any points when she's given them or she may find out her insurance is invalidated if she has an accident.

The only way to legally get rid of points is when they've expired and you send off your licence to DVLA to have them removed. Once you've been convicted, you can't have them removed unless you appeal and win.

[vikingaero]

I'm fairly sure that no MOT is just a fine and is a non-endorseable offence (ie no points).

[sarahg1969]

I believe it's a fine up to £1,000 and no points.

[Conor]

No points. It would seem that they backtracked on their decision to award points for it. A shame.

[redux]

No points. It would seem that they backtracked on their decision to award points for it. A shame.
Next time why not concentrate on posting factual answers, instead of making things up to suit your moral outrage

[DCFC79]

I think the friend should accept what ever points/fine she/he will get

[Conor]

Next time why not concentrate on posting factual answers, instead of making things up to suit your moral outrage

Where haven't I? It was considered whether or not to make not having an MOT an endorsable offence.

[redux]

Where haven't I? It was considered whether or not to make not having an MOT an endorsable offence.

short memory?

Yes she is quite right to be worried about getting penalty points and a fine because that's exactly what is going to happen. There is no way to avoid it and "I forgot" is not a defence.

I hope she doesn't "forget" to notify her insurers of any points ...

[ilikedrawing]

Yeah, 'i forgot' will not help. My sister in law genuinely forgot to get her car MOT'd (a 4 year old clio, not a deathtrap..but hey) and drove about in it for about 3 weeks until she happened to be looking at the paperwork then booked it in straight away.

These things happen, thats life. The police can't pick and choose who they book, they must listen to excuses and lies everyday so your friend will have to put it down to a bad experience, and i bet she'll never forget again!

Like i said before, these things happen, people do forget things, we're not robots.

[hewhoisnotintheknow]

you get a sticker to stick in your car (unless its a brand new car)

write it on a calender, no exucse

[DCFC79]

These things happen, thats life.


you can prevent it by doing what hewhoisnotintheknow suggested

[hewhoisnotintheknow]

use the tart alert thing on this site for mot

[cyclonebri1]

you get a sticker to stick in your car (unless its a brand new car)

write it on a calender, no exucse


For some reason they have stopped issuing those :confused: :confused: :confused:

[hewhoisnotintheknow]

For some reason they have stopped issuing those :confused: :confused: :confused:

Oh, my garage must have old stock i got one, still no harm in making your own sticker, i note when i last changed the oil etc on mine too

[onejontwo]

Give the poor lady a break! We constantly get reminders for car tax, car insurance, buildings insurance. house insurance, life insurance, drains insurance, appliance insurance etc. etc. But for one of the important every day legal requirements ie. MOT, we get none! As everything is now computerised and held on a national data base it would be simpler and in the interests of safety, more beneficial, to send us a reminder as they are obliged to do with car tax.
As someone famously said ....To err is human...........

[Sailor Sam]

Try looking at http://www.peppipoo.com .
I think this is mostly about speeding and radar cameras, but if you go into the forums you may find some information.

[jaydeeuk1]

Hi all,

My friend was stopped by the police for a random check and found that she did not have an MOT certificate. She told me that she totally forgot about renewing her MOT and that it had expired 2 months ago and fortunately the police caught her.
No MOT is as bad as no insurance - absolutely no defence for using a potentially dangerous vehicle on the roads. Hopefully she'll never forget again.

[vikingaero]

No MOT is as bad as no insurance - absolutely no defence for using a potentially dangerous vehicle on the roads. Hopefully she'll never forget again.

But having no MOT isn't an endorseable offence so it can't have been rated as that serious by the powers that be.

Just because a car does not have a MOT does not mean it isn't roadworthy or dangerous - some 3 year old cars due for a MOT are in far better condition that some 1 year old cars I see.

[sarahg1969]

Just because a vehicle hasn't got an MOT does not make it unroadworthy.

And because a vehicle does have one does not mean it's perfectly safe.

All it means is that your vehicle was considered roadworthy enough to pass a test on one single occasion up to 12 months ago.

[hewhoisnotintheknow]

Just because a vehicle hasn't got an MOT does not make it unroadworthy.

And because a vehicle does have one does not mean it's perfectly safe.

All it means is that your vehicle was considered roadworthy enough to pass a test on one single occasion up to 12 months ago.


and in this case it could be 14 months ago from the last mot or even 15 if it was done early

should be a hefty fine

[wishiwasarichgirl]

don't you get a reminder through the post letting you know your car is due an MOT? I'm sure I did?

[Dustangle]

Give the poor lady a break! We constantly get reminders for car tax, car insurance, buildings insurance. house insurance, life insurance, drains insurance, appliance insurance etc. etc. But for one of the important every day legal requirements ie. MOT, we get none! As everything is now computerised and held on a national data base it would be simpler and in the interests of safety, more beneficial, to send us a reminder as they are obliged to do with car tax.
As someone famously said ....To err is human...........

To err is human, but that doesn't get you out of the fine if the cops catch you.

There are - what? - twenty million car owners in the UK. Nearly all of those manage to remember that their MOT is due, and get it seen to, even without a reminder from the state.

Some of us get a reminder from the garage that did it last time. Some of us put in our diaries or on the kitchen calendar. Some of us programme our mobile phones to remind ourselves. Some of us put a wee sticker in the sun visor.

[jeannieblue]

For some reason they have stopped issuing those :confused: :confused: :confused:
They are on the bottom of the MOT certificate, you peel off the box.

[jeannieblue]

To err is human, but that doesn't get you out of the fine if the cops catch you.

There are - what? - twenty million car owners in the UK. Nearly all of those manage to remember that their MOT is due, and get it seen to, even without a reminder from the state.

Some of us get a reminder from the garage that did it last time. Some of us put in our diaries or on the kitchen calendar. Some of us programme our mobile phones to remind ourselves. Some of us put a wee sticker in the sun visor.
Yeah right........

I get calls daily from people who have forgotten, by days, weeks and months it is more common than you think.

Think your 'nearly all' statistics don't wash.... :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[hewhoisnotintheknow]

Yeah right........

I get calls daily from people who have forgotten, by days, weeks and months it is more common than you think.

Think your 'nearly all' statistics don't wash.... :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

i take it you work in a garage?!

[ilikedrawing]

There are - what? - twenty million car owners in the UK

So with that amount of people why is it so crazy for some of you to understand that some (a percentage of 2 MILLION) will forget.

You cant use 'i forgot' as an excuse in any way shape or form, thats obvious, but in response to some of the responses on this post i have to say people have 10,000 other things to think about in their lives aswell as dealing with car ownership.

[sillyvixen]

my mot expired - i had major abdo surgery and could not drive untill i could depress the break fully (ie perform an emergency stop) without pain. i tried on a weekly basis and it was 3 months untill i could drive again - i only used my car to take it to the dealers for a service and mot... i did not use it on other journeys and it was beyond my control the mot had expired before i could get it delt with ..... what is your freinds excuse for braking the law?

[cyclonebri1]

They are on the bottom of the MOT certificate, you peel off the box.


Ha Ahhhh:T

[cyclonebri1]

don't you get a reminder through the post letting you know your car is due an MOT? I'm sure I did?

You don't get one from the DVLA, but most main agents and probably others too will send out their own reminder to get your mot buisiness;)

[Neil Peters]

Jesus people lay off her, she forgot, it happens, your friend will probably just get a fine, or she already has as this is an old topic.

But yeah, you dont know, she may check the car over every week or get someone to do it for her, you dont know the circumstances, and she is only human, she forgot, it happens, have you ever forgotten to pay a phone bill? Put the bin out for collection? I know its not a small thing like that but its the same circumstances, forgotten to do it when it needed doing.

Likely outcome, no endorsement, just a fine. And she won't forget to do it again anytime soon I would imagine :)

[northstar23]

I wonder how many of the people who are only too happy to moralise and put the boot in would feel the same if they were the one's who forgot?

To those I say... pride cometh before a fall.

[Keith]

I wonder how many of the people who are only too happy to moralise and put the boot in would feel the same if they were the one's who forgot?

To those I say... pride cometh before a fall.

Treat it like a birthday and you never forget.

The MOT for our 3 vehicles is marked on our calender and also in my Outlook so that I'm reminded. I also have the date marked 4 weeks before expiry so that I can attend for a test as soon as I've time.

Then again, I'm quite organised like that.

[movilogo]

If someone forgets MOT, s/he is highly likely to forget insurance and service as well. None of this actually needed to get your car rolling (illegally of course except the servicing).

[SandC]

Mine's on my calendar now because I thought I was clever and remembered it but when I went to look out paperwork to book it in I realised it was due Novmber and not December. Hence mine was a fortnight late. I now don't rely on my memory and will have a reminder from Outlook.

I think the reason some people are being a little harsh on here is because the OP appears isn't just asking for facts on what will happen but some kind of publication that questions the MOT test. Doesn't matter if it's questioned or not, it's the law and is a safety check that needs doing every year and you can't get tax or insurance without it. Unfortunately you don't get a reminder.

The numbers of people who forget all about it until tax time must be quite huge I would have thought.