Sorn Cars and Mots

Hello I am getting the old girl back on the road but my Question is .....

I have no tax or MOT and the car is currently on a SORN I know I have to insure it but do I need TAX it to drive to the mot Garage its the first time I have had to do this as I have always kept her on the road any help would be great Cheers

(AND PLEASE EVERY ONE TOPS DOWN IN THE SUN SHINE :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:)

Hi, there is an exemption that if you are traveling to a pre-booked MOT you do not require to be taxed, however they will only take the exemption if you are on a route between home and the testing station, a quick trip up the bypass to clear it out would not be tolerated

I think you can also take it to a garage for repairs for the MOT. Booked in to be on the safe side.

UPDATE its been booked in for an MOT all I have to do insure it before the pre booked test.

Once its mot has passed only then can the car be Taxed The garage said its ok to drive to an mot testing station as long as its pre booked as long as its been insured first.

My F had been off the road for 7 years when i took it for MoT, insured it a couple of weeks before (to give time for it to show as insured on the system as can take 7 days) and if it dosent show, they can't test it !!!! - Pre-booked MoT and was advised by a friend (ex traffic police inspector) to not NOT take it in the opposite direction for a 'blast' on the way to the MoT station.

Good luck with your test.

As above - the car must be pre-booked.

I have never heard of this need for insurance, is it new?
How do garages get around it, if they are using trade plates the car is covered by the plate insurance so wont be on the data base.

And theres the getting back home to...........because i believe if the car fails a mot........the car in question has to be repaired (moted) at the garage you have booked into........or taken away to a place of repair on a trailer...in other words if you want to take the car back home to repair it,you cant drive it back...some people send there cars for mot,while there is still mot left on the car for example 2 weeks believing if the car fails they have the 2 weeks to drive and get the car repaired.....but i believe when the car fails all previous mot time is wiped clear and the car has none ....correct or not?.............your comments please.............. :hgf:

I think it depends on what the car fails on, if it's bulbs for instance you can drive it but if it has no brakes for instance you can't obviously.

I think the phrase is "drive to a pre-arranged MOT and back".

The actual MOT is only valid the day the car is tested.

once the car has passed the mot...........the car has to be taxed before leaving the station.........................i just went on a website called uk police online........where a lot of people were asking mot questions.press this link and put driving to mot in the search box.........theres a guy in wales who wanted to know if it were legal to drive his unmoted car to his mates mot garage in manchester...they told him it was ok if pre booked.........does this mean there is not a mileage issue?.....https://www.ukpoliceonline.co.uk.

I think this clarifies the situation regarding early Mots and the legality of driving a failed car away.

In essence as long as the car has a current MOT it is possible legally to drive it on the road. However, it is illegal to drive a vehicle on the road which is not roadworthy.

To encourage drivers to keep on top of vehicle maintenance, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) allows you to arrange a new MOT test up to one month before your current certificate ends.

In theory, this means that if it fails you’ve still got time to get quotes and get it fixed before the previous MOT actually expires. The earliest date that you can do this is printed on your existing certificate.

However, if the vehicle does fail the new MOT, you shouldn’t be driving it. Here’s why.

Although you’re not breaking the law by not having an MOT (because your old certificate is still valid, remember) you could be prosecuted for driving a defective vehicle, if stopped by the police.

Whether it’s a broken light bulb or brake failure, you’d be guilty of driving a car that has known faults.

So, your best bet is to get it fixed ASAP and not to drive it in the meantime.

A VOSA spokesperson confirms: “Should you present your vehicle early and the vehicle fails the test, your original certificate still remains valid until its expiry date.

"But this does not mean that you are entitled to continue to use a defective vehicle.

“However, once the defects are repaired you can continue to use the vehicle until either it is retested or the original test certificate expires.

"Remember a current test certificate does not allow continued use of a defective vehicle on a public road.”

This begs the question...WHAT is roadworthy?

What is roadworthy in the eyes of the law?

The MOT is a test of roadworthiness, so if it fails on any point it’s safe to assume that the vehicle is unroadworthy in the eyes of the law.

Motoring lawyer Jeanette Miller says failing an MOT test does not automatically render a vehicle defective or unroadworthy.

However, should police pull you over and investigate further or you’re involved in an accident, there is a risk of prosecution under dangerous driving laws.

Jeanette says: “The fact that the vehicle has failed an MOT is probably a good sign that there is a material defect with the vehicle.

“The most serious offence for which you can be charged for using a vehicle that is not roadworthy is dangerous driving, for which the most serious punishment is two years in prison.”

She also warns that there is a string of offences for having a car with defective parts, even if they are not necessarily dangerous.

For example, driving with a defective exhaust or lights is punishable by a fine up to £1,000, while driving with defective brakes/steering/tyres is punishable with up to a £2500 fine and three penalty points.

And more importantly, a driver risks being convicted for using a vehicle with a known fault.
Insurance implications

Although the chances of being pulled over by the police (and them inspecting anything other than the condition of tyres and working order of lights) are slim, your insurer might come down harder should you have an accident.

You’d have a hard time convincing an insurer to validate any claims if you had an accident while using a vehicle that has failed a new MOT, even if the old certificate is still valid.

So, the onus here is on you to be sure the vehicle is not defective and is safe to be on the road.

sherwood0_8 wrote: UPDATE its been booked in for an MOT all I have to do insure it once its mot has passed only then can the car be Taxed The garage said its ok to drive to an mot testing station as long as its pre booked

You should insure the car to drive it to the MOT station. No vehicle should drive on the roads without insurance.
Not sure whether you are just missing a full stop or intend on insuring it after the MOT.