Number of motorists driving without an MoT increases

Richard Aucock, Contributor
Thu, 28 Nov 2024

Almost 1 in 4 motorists are risking fines of up to £1000 by driving without a valid MoT.

Analysis shows that in 2023, 7.6 million of all MoTs – or 23% – were carried out late. A further 23% of motorists with an expired MoT drove for more than 100 miles.

1 in 10 MoTs last year were more than a month overdue, with motorists driving an average of 67 miles before getting a new MoT.

The numbers are so high because a third of drivers incorrectly believe it is legal to drive without a valid MoT so long as they have a test booked.

The rules instead say the car can only be driven to a pre-arranged test.

The analysis by breakdown provider Green Flag showed motorists aren’t aware of the risks of not having a MoT, either. One in four didn’t know they could face fines of up to £1000, while one in six didn’t realise their car insurance could be invalidated.

A third of motorists were unaware that driving a vehicle that failed its MoT because of a ‘dangerous’ problem could risk a fine of up to £2500, three penalty points and even a driving ban.  

There is no grace period for expired MoTs, warns Green Flag. Vehicles become illegal to drive at midnight on the MoT expiry date.

However, MoTs can be completed up to a month (minus a day) before they run out and still keep the same expiry date.

This would undoubtedly help the 1 in 5 people who said they were driving without a valid MoT because the garage couldn’t get them in.

A further 18% said they had simply forgotten their MoT was due – for whom the free Honest John MoT reminder email service would certainly be of interest…

Ask HJ

Are MoT dates affected by date of first registration?

My MoT renewal date was 7th October. I booked an MoT for 17th September (within 1 month), and it passed ok. But, the new MoT renewal date has come back as 17 September next year. The garage claim this is because the car was originally registered on 23rd October, so the MoT has to be within 1 month of that date to be post-dated. As it wasn't they say the new MoT date is set. I can't find this anywhere on a DVLA/Gov.uk website. Are they trying to duck the issue that they didn't post-date the MoT?

We are not aware of any regulation that states the MoT needs to be within one month of the original date of registration to be post-dated. However, the dates on the certificate should be set by the computer and cannot be changed by the garage, so it would seem unlikely that this is a mistake on their part, although you may wish to raise it with them. Unfortunately the date cannot be retrospectively altered.

Answered by David Ross

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