Can I drive my car with a failed MOT?

Aretnap · 9 August at 9:28AM

MattMattMattUK said:

funnymonkey said:

Thank you very much for all your answers.
I should have provided more details.
The car failed on having smokey headlights, not a tiny bit just through aging.
I planned on getting them treated before the MOT but the garage was unable to fit me in on time.

I'm still confused on whether I can drive the car as there's so many conflicting answers.
Thank you

Did they list it as Minor or Major? If Minor then in theory yes, during conditions that do not require headlights, outside of that or if Major, then no.

Erm, if it was listed as a minor fault then it wouldn't be an MOT fail.

The fault class is irrelevant though. It is legal to drive with defective lights during daylight hours so long as you have made arrangements to have them fixed as soon as you reasonably can: see the lighting regulations above.

Aretnap · 9 August at 10:00AM

funnymonkey said:

Thank you very much for all your answers.
I should have provided more details.
The car failed on having smokey headlights, not a tiny bit just through aging.
I planned on getting them treated before the MOT but the garage was unable to fit me in on time.

I'm still confused on whether I can drive the car as there's so many conflicting answers.
Thank you

To expand slightly on my last answer, to decide whether you can drive the car there are three questions that you need to answer.

(1) Has an obligatory test certificate (an MOT certificate to you and me) been issued for it in tthe last 12 months? Yes it has. You can ignore anyone who tells you that an MOT failure invalidates the old certificate, and if you don't want to take my word for it you can check for yourself on this website whether your car still has a valid MOT.

(2) Does the condition of the car mean that it poses a risk of injury to any person (over and above the normal risks of using a car of course)? Clearly not, if you're driving in bright sunshine. Maybe, if you're driving at night.

(3) Does your car meet the construction and use regulations relating to lighting? Probably not, but again note the exception relating to daylight hours.

So yes you can drive it, during daylight at least. At night, hmmm, maybe not, but you've been driving it up to now with the dodgy headlight, and it's no more illegal now than it was a few days ago.

Mildly_Miffed · 9 August at 10:20AM

MattMattMattUK said:

funnymonkey said:

Thank you very much for all your answers.
I should have provided more details.
The car failed on having smokey headlights, not a tiny bit just through aging.
I planned on getting them treated before the MOT but the garage was unable to fit me in on time.

I'm still confused on whether I can drive the car as there's so many conflicting answers.
Thank you

Did they list it as Minor or Major? If Minor then in theory yes, during conditions that do not require headlights, outside of that or if Major, then no.

Minor is a pass.

It's just a formalised advisory.

@funnymonkey - if the lenses are just cloudy from the failed old UV coating, then buy a £15 "headlamp restoration" kit and spend half an hour with a cordless drill cleaning the old coating off.

Car_54 · 9 August at 10:23AM

MattMattMattUK said:

funnymonkey said:

Thank you very much for all your answers.
I should have provided more details.
The car failed on having smokey headlights, not a tiny bit just through aging.
I planned on getting them treated before the MOT but the garage was unable to fit me in on time.

I'm still confused on whether I can drive the car as there's so many conflicting answers.
Thank you

Did they list it as Minor or Major? If Minor then in theory yes, during conditions that do not require headlights, outside of that or if Major, then no.

Can you point to legislation to support that?

Since the OP has a valid MOT, the recent test is really irrelevant. The only questions are whether the car is in a dangerous condition (I'd suggest not), and complies with the lighting and C & U regs.

BTW some major faults DO NOT mean the car is dangerous, e.g. a defective or missing rear seat belt when no passengers are being carried.

badmemory · 9 August at 10:32AM

An MOT fail can never be irrelevant. Get stopped by the police for something else & they will not ignore the MOT fail, they will just add it to the list.

Aretnap · 9 August at 10:40AM

badmemory said:

An MOT fail can never be irrelevant. Get stopped by the police for something else & they will not ignore the MOT fail, they will just add it to the list.

Add it to the list? What list would that be?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_YMVPXmaKds

Mildly_Miffed · 9 August at 10:40AM

badmemory said:

An MOT fail can never be irrelevant. Get stopped by the police for something else & they will not ignore the MOT fail, they will just add it to the list.

So if a car fails an MOT on a failed bulb, and the bulb has been changed - but no retest has been carried out, and the previous MOT is unexpired - you are saying that the driver can be prosecuted...?

For what?

paul_c123 · 9 August at 10:43AM

badmemory said:

An MOT fail can never be irrelevant.

A user on an internet forum can be though.

user1977 · 9 August at 10:49AM

In any event whether it's legal is academic unless you're stopped by the police and they detect the fault. Even at night, that seems unlikely unless the headlight is out completely.