Millions Of Motorists Missing MOT Renewal Date

According to recent studies, around 4.7 million UK drivers invalidate their car insurance policies by missing their MOT renewal date. With 50% of motorists putting their car buying plans on hold during the current recession, car maintenance should be high up on a motorist’s agenda- however this isn’t always the case. 

Hit or Miss:

Not only are millions of motorists unknowingly driving illegally throughout the UK, in addition many of these drivers will be using cars that are unsafe putting themselves, their passengers and other road users at risk.

Over 3 million motorists admit to carrying on driving illegally, even once they are aware their MOT certificate is out of date. 52% of drivers have revealed that they book their car in for an MOT within a week of its expiration date, while 36% take as long as a month and in some cases (12%) motorists are taking up to 12 months to renew their MOT.

Collectively, these absent-minded motorists are creating a hole in the industry's bank balance to the tune of £21 million for every month their certificate remains overdue.

The majority (79%) of those motorists who miss their MOT renewal date put it down to sheer forgetfulness, whilst 11% are thrown by a change of vehicle.

With half of motorists putting off buying a new car at the moment as their finances are squeezed, it is more important than ever to ensure their existing cars are up to scratch. However motorists are still running the risk of added expense, if they are caught without valid up to date MOT they could face a £1,000 fine, and because it invalidates the car insurance policy, the driver is liable for any costs of repairs to their own car as well as damage incurred by third parties.

Money Or Time?

Life moves at a pretty fast pace and so it is understandable that many consumers may find themselves losing track of deadlines and commitments, but forgetting to renew your MOT will cost you more in the long run and mean your car is off the road until your new MOT has been updated. This could mean paying for public transport to get around- which can be costly.

If motorists are involved in an accident and don’t have a valid MOT you could be liable for the damage yourself- you might also not be able to make a claim to your insurance company. Car accident costs can be expensive. The average cost of a car insurance claim according to the AA is nearly £2,500.

Not only that though, when you do renew your car insurance, your premiums are likely to be significantly higher if you have an IN10 offence. This is the offence you would be charged under if found driving a car without an MOT – it is for using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks.

In addition, as car insurance is invalidated, costs can soar if the vehicle is involved in an accident and any motorist prosecuted for driving without insurance can expect to see their premium rise by around 43%. All these extra costs could be avoided at this credit crunch crisis time if motorists ensured their MOT was up to date.

A surprising 51% of motorists said they would like to receive a reminder for their MOT renewal date, similar to that used for road tax, although would inevitably hike the cost of the test, which currently stands at £54.00.
 

- K.J.N -