Driving from England to Northern Ireland for booked MOT, without road tax

Goudy

Forget the distance you want to travel for a minute.

So you are driving it to an pre booked MOT and your car passes Plod and flags up as having no road tax.

They pull you over because it's flagged as having no road tax and you tell them you are taking it for a pre booked MOT.

Plod checks again and sees it already has a MOT, just no road tax, so there's no actual reason for it to be untaxed apart from the fact YOU haven't taxed it.

Then like the rest of us, Plod is convinced that you are just trying (and failing) to cheat the government out of some VED.

You might get away with it if it had no MOT and no road tax, was pre booked for an MOT and was in road worthy condition, but the fact that it has an MOT yet you are using the fact that you have pre booked another as reason to use it on the road advertises the fact you are just trying to cheat the system.

TooManyPoints

Yes, Goudy has hit the nail on the head and has explained what I was far less successful in getting to.

It strikes me (and probably others) that you have developed this wheeze simply to avoid paying VED.

Of course, leaving aside the fact that you seemingly don’t intend to actually have the MoT test done at all (if for no other reason that the cost of the test will probably far outweigh the cost of one month’s tax) there is nothing to prevent a vehicle owner from having an MoT test done when there is still some time left on the current certificate.

But you are trying to take advantage of legislation which allows you to drive to a testing station for a pre-booked compulsory test. Whilst the MoT test (generally) is compulsory, if a vehicle has a current one – certainly one with more than 30 days to run – it is not compulsory for the vehicle to be tested at that point. I believe that if you defended this in court (which you would have to if the police did not accept your version) you would be unlikely to succeed.

Yes, you might get away with this, but all things considered, is it really worth it?

Baldytyke88

Grumpy_chap said:

Regardless of MOT status, the driver is responsible for ensuring that the car is road worthy.

What the OP wants to do is clearly illegal, if he is involved in an accident it wont look good.

Grumpy_chap

TooManyPoints said:

 is it really worth it?

Well, a lot of hassle and faffing around to avoid a small amount of expense. 
Almost certain to be picked up on the length of journey the OP is suggesting, given the frequency of ANPR cameras, so a letter via the mail may follow even if not stopped en route.
Hardly money saving if one of the following penalties then applies:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-enforcement-policy/dvla-enforcement-of-vehicle-tax-registration-and-insurance-offences

Grey_Critic

Car_54 said:

Grey_Critic said:

Some body raised a similar question a coupleof years ago I seem to recall. The law is very clear any vehicle on a Public Road must be taxed, insured and have a valid MOT.

No definition of a “Public Road” exists AFAIK, so far from clear

 The law is not quite so clear. 

MOT and insurance are needed on “a road or public place”.

Tax is only needed on a “road maintained at public expense”.

But the OP has already stated it is his intension to drive it on the public highway. And good luck trying to convince the Police and Court that driving around the M25 or anywhere else it is a private road

jimjames

Grey_Critic said:

Some body raised a similar question a coupleof years ago I seem to recall. The law is very clear any vehicle on a Public Road must be taxed, insured and have a valid MOT. As others have said you would have some difficulties convincing plod  - plus should you be involved in an accident ( and yes they do happen and not only to others) then the little money you might think you have saved would likely cost you a lot of money.

That's just not factually correct in all situations. It is entirely legal to drive have no MOT or tax when you are travelling to a prebooked MOT. Obviously insurance is required. There is no requirement to go to your nearest MOT centre. I've previously driven a long way round the M25 in a car with no MOT or tax on my way to a prebooked MOT, around 100 miles journey. Despite all the ANPR cameras in that area I had no issues and received no penalties.

LeafGreen

I agree it's not a good idea.  Also not good form to mess around a garage by booking an MOT test that you know you are going to cancel.

Grumpy_chap

jimjames said:

Grey_Critic said:

Some body raised a similar question a coupleof years ago I seem to recall. The law is very clear any vehicle on a Public Road must be taxed, insured and have a valid MOT. As others have said you would have some difficulties convincing plod  - plus should you be involved in an accident ( and yes they do happen and not only to others) then the little money you might think you have saved would likely cost you a lot of money.

That's just not factually correct in all situations. It is entirely legal to drive have no MOT or tax when you are travelling to a prebooked MOT. Obviously insurance is required. There is no requirement to go to your nearest MOT centre. I've previously driven a long way round the M25 in a car with no MOT or tax on my way to a prebooked MOT, around 100 miles journey. Despite all the ANPR cameras in that area I had no issues and received no penalties.

Your scenario seems different from the OP's.

You had a car with no MOT and were going to a compulsory MOT, to then get the actual MOT test done and buy the VED.

The OP seems to be saying they'll buy a car with time remaining on the MOT, not buy VED, book an optional MOT, drive the car quite some distance from England to NI, and then not actually turn up for the MOT or buy the VED.

sheramber

jimjames said:

Grey_Critic said:

Some body raised a similar question a coupleof years ago I seem to recall. The law is very clear any vehicle on a Public Road must be taxed, insured and have a valid MOT. As others have said you would have some difficulties convincing plod  - plus should you be involved in an accident ( and yes they do happen and not only to others) then the little money you might think you have saved would likely cost you a lot of money.

That's just not factually correct in all situations. It is entirely legal to drive have no MOT or tax when you are travelling to a prebooked MOT. Obviously insurance is required. There is no requirement to go to your nearest MOT centre. I've previously driven a long way round the M25 in a car with no MOT or tax on my way to a prebooked MOT, around 100 miles journey. Despite all the ANPR cameras in that area I had no issues and received no penalties.

How would the police know you were travelling to a booked MOT?
 More  likely the cameras were not  being monitored at the time you passed. 

From what I have read if stopped and you claim you are going to a booked MOT you need to proof of the booking and forward proof of it being done. 

jimjames

sheramber said:

jimjames said:

Grey_Critic said:

Some body raised a similar question a coupleof years ago I seem to recall. The law is very clear any vehicle on a Public Road must be taxed, insured and have a valid MOT. As others have said you would have some difficulties convincing plod  - plus should you be involved in an accident ( and yes they do happen and not only to others) then the little money you might think you have saved would likely cost you a lot of money.

That's just not factually correct in all situations. It is entirely legal to drive have no MOT or tax when you are travelling to a prebooked MOT. Obviously insurance is required. There is no requirement to go to your nearest MOT centre. I've previously driven a long way round the M25 in a car with no MOT or tax on my way to a prebooked MOT, around 100 miles journey. Despite all the ANPR cameras in that area I had no issues and received no penalties.

How would the police know you were travelling to a booked MOT?
 More  likely the cameras were not  being monitored at the time you passed. 

Or that cameras are not ever routinely monitored and you're just unlucky if a police car goes past and the ANPR pings your vehicle. As you say there is no way they would know you were travelling to a booked MOT but with the number of people who drive without MOT, insurance or tax it would seem to be a low chance of being pulled over. For clarity, it's absolutely not a reason to drive uninsured though.