Laws on driivng a car without tax and MOT?
 

So my friend has a car he is willing to let me use but it is uninsured and has no tax or MOT.

Now i will need to insure it first but what's the law on driving it with out MOT or TAX?

Can i drive to a booked in MOT on the day to then get TAX one it passes? Is it the other way around, or is it neither?

What if it fails, can i then not drive it at all?

Thanks

I believe, so long as it's booked in for an MOT and Insured, you can drive it to the MOT garage itself and home again if it fails.

You can drive to a pre-booked MOT without test or tax and you can drive home or to a place of repair. There isnt a limit on distance. No tax or no MOT does not (nor can it not) invalidate your insurance.

Has to be insured before taking it anywhere.

Drive to MOT station, get MOT (direct route, no stopping in between)
Then tax it.

If it fails ona major item you are screwed. I currently have a BMW stuck at the garage because it was condemed (rusty brake lines :o ). If the failure is severe (as in my case) a tester will not let your car go anywhere ntil its fixed, unless its taken away on a trailer or on the back of a wagon.

Also take note that an uninsured car must be declared SORN when its not being used (they changed the law recently).

I understood that was down to the descretion of the MOT tester, or are all Major fails a 'seizure'?

Quite correct.

However there is a duty of care that the driver must ensure the vehicle is roadworthy.

It is discretion.

Not sure as to what consitutes a major failure, but basically anything that is severe enough that it could cause the car to crash.

So brakes, severe chassis rot, excessive suspension wear, bulging tyres etc.

Kick in the teeth is its my uncle who failed it LOL (the b****** :mad: )

"It is generally an offence to use on a public road, a vehicle of testable age that doesn’t have a current test certificate, except when:

• taking it to a test station for an MOT test booked in advance
• bringing it away from a test station after it has failed the MOT test, to a place of repair
• taking it to a place, by previous arrangement, where problems that caused the vehicle to fail its MOT test, can be repaired
• bringing it away from a place where the problems with the vehicle have been repaired"

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring...Mot/DG_4022108

From the above, perfectly legit to drive the car home after a failed test, if you're going to do the repairs yourself.

I'm in this situation with a friends bike. I'm insured via my own bike insurance, so off I went to a pre-booked MOT (it passed). However, to get the tax you have to have insurance that has the car's registration on it. Not as mine is, 'any other vehicle with permission'. So I'm a bit stuck but as long as you remember that bit you're good to go.

Dave

hutton... for you to ride other bike (or car) under your insurance, the other vehicle has to be insured....

basically, some insurance companies cover you on third party when driving other vehicles, as long as the other vehicles are insured and you have the owners permission to drive it. if they are not insured and you get caught, you are screwed

So who has successfully claimed on a untaxed un-MOT's car they have crashed recently? :)

Testers cant prohibit Ali, they can only advise. Only VOSA or police examiners can prohibit IIRC.

Errmmm..... Anyone who spoke to the ombudsman who will have confirmed what I have said?

The commment about a vehicle having to be insured for you to use your 3rd party any other car cover: equally incorrect. Some policies stipulate this, but most dont - read your policy document. It may be a condition of your cover, but it is not a defacto requirement.

I agree with that but the coppers on here don't - but they are wrong. Big argument about this some time ago on here. dl

My understanding as well:)

apparently increasingly common though. Something insurers have cottoned on to.

5t.

It is, I agree.

David, it was 'fatherpierre' I think? He was mistaken, although he believed that he was right.

Yeah I think it was him or the other "F" copper. Said he would confiscate the car and get it crushed.....

A mind unclutterd by knowledge ;)

dl

Felix. Started out as a decent sounding fellow with a sensible attitude, but ended up as a Judge Dredd-sounding bell end.

I presumed that a few years in the job jaded him.

What if your MOT station is 200 miles away lol

Funnily enough.......

My son is currently using my old 205 in Dublin and MOT is due soon. I may well go and collect it as my local garage know the car and have a few spare 205s to use as spares. I know that if my son gets it fixed in Dublin he is likely to end up with a bigger bill (and it needs to be tested in UK).

I assume that if I book a test and drive it straight back, ferry and all, it will be legal.

dl

You can get it tested up to a month before the due date, why wait and risk anything?