No MOT - Permitted travel distance to MOT station

mikey72

Joe_Horner wrote: »

..................Many years ago I was stopped on a trip from Andover to South Devon (148 miles) with an MOT booked at the other end with a "tester I trusted" and there were knowing looks from the officers (they knew perfectly well I was actually shifting the car) but it wasn't a problem once they were happy the car was basically safe.

That is where they can decide to be awkward.

You are allowed to drive to an mot, and back, and even to a place of repair in a seperate journey, eg, your mate for the welding.

But if the police believe you're taking the vehicle home, and that's the point of your journey, they can book you even though you have an mot pre-arranged, and let a judge decide if your excuse is reasonable, or just an excuse.

Having said that, you're more likely to get a ticket in the post for driving a sorned car on the road.

I need to take one for an IVA, no tax, no MOT, no number plates, no v5, no identity, but legal to drive there and back. That should be fun.

Lum

Print out a piece of paper with "IVA" in big letters, and stick that where the number plate should be.

Joe_Horner

mikey72 wrote: »

That is where they can decide to be awkward.

You are allowed to drive to an mot, and back, and even to a place of repair in a seperate journey, eg, your mate for the welding.

But if the police believe you're taking the vehicle home, and that's the point of your journey, they can book you even though you have an mot pre-arranged, and let a judge decide if your excuse is reasonable, or just an excuse.

Having said that, you're more likely to get a ticket in the post for driving a sorned car on the road.

I need to take one for an IVA, no tax, no MOT, no number plates, no v5, no identity, but legal to drive there and back. That should be fun.

Totally agree - the "reason" for the journey must be the MOT, with anything else (lie getting it home) as an incidental effect. That said, as long as the car isn't an obvious deathtrap and you're careful to pass the attitude test if you are pulled, then they're very unlikely to get stroppy about it. As for the OP, 25 miles is really nothing for attending a test - a lot of people with new-ish cars who insist on using Main Stealers will be doing that every year!

thescouselander

vax2002 wrote: »

Taking a car to an MOT station does not stop the police pulling it over and giving you defect notices and fixed penalty notices .
So do be careful !

Driving a car that has an MOT doesn't stop any of that either.

anotherbaldrick

benjus wrote: »

On what grounds would they do that?

That it might be unroadworthy. 1

Stephen_Leak

benjus wrote: »

On what grounds would they do that?

Do insurance companies (IMHO, pimples on the bottom of capitalism) need grounds to do anything?

I cannot recall seeing any mileage limit quoted anywhere, or any requirement that you must use the nearest test centre. One further away could have an earlier free appointment, and bring the vehicle back within the law sooner.

Sgt_Pepper_2

anotherbaldrick wrote: »

That it might be unroadworthy. 1

It might not be.

Why would your brakes be more likely to fail on an A road?

Joe_Horner

anotherbaldrick wrote: »

That it might be unroadworthy. 1

They can't refuse the legally required cover even if it is - although they can (and do) drag you through the courts to recover the payout afterwards.

mikey72

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

Do insurance companies (IMHO, pimples on the bottom of capitalism) need grounds to do anything?

I cannot recall seeing any mileage limit quoted anywhere, or any requirement that you must use the nearest test centre. One further away could have an earlier free appointment, and bring the vehicle back within the law sooner.

There isn't one.

You can drive to an mot.

Providing that is actually the reason for the journey.

It depends on the judge to decide if you actually where driving to an mot, or driving the car 200 miles home.
And you just happened to have booked an mot on the same day.

paddedjohn

mikey72 wrote: »

That is where they can decide to be awkward.

You are allowed to drive to an mot, and back, and even to a place of repair in a seperate journey, eg, your mate for the welding.

But if the police believe you're taking the vehicle home, and that's the point of your journey, they can book you even though you have an mot pre-arranged, and let a judge decide if your excuse is reasonable, or just an excuse.

Having said that, you're more likely to get a ticket in the post for driving a sorned car on the road.

I need to take one for an IVA, no tax, no MOT, no number plates, no v5, no identity, but legal to drive there and back. That should be fun.

There is probably no sorn involved since the car has been in a barn for 25yrs and even if there was, any fine would go to the previous owner who wouldnt have to pay because its not their car anymore.;)