Once a car reaches three years old, all motorists must put their car through a yearly MOT to test the road worthiness of the vehicle. The following things are inspected: seatbelts, steering and suspension, wipers, windscreen, electrical wiring, battery lights, registration plates, bonnet, tyres and wheels, brakes, horn, exhaust and emissions, mirrors, doors, tow bar, boot, seats, fuel system, and the vehicle structure. But will you still be able to drive your car if it fails its MOT?
If the certificate has expired when the vehicle fails – If your car is over three years old, and you do not have an MOT test every year, by law your insurance can become invalid. If you fail the MOT test on the day your MOT certificate is due to expire, there are only two ways you would legally be allowed to drive your vehicle:
In any other case, driving would be breaking the law.
If the certificate is still live when the vehicle fails – The date your certificate expires will be on the MOT certificate, and you can take your vehicle for an MOT up to a month in advance. This has led to some confusion as to whether you would legally be allowed to drive your car up until the expiry date on the certificate even if it has just failed the MOT. The answer is yes, however if it has failed, this would mean there are problems with your vehicle, and if stopped by the police you may be prosecuted for driving an unroadworthy vehicle. Therefore, it is recommended you get all faults with your car fixed as soon as possible, and not drive it in the meantime.
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