3.8 million motorists admit driving without an MOT in the past year

Reasons for for driving without an MOT ranged from simple confusion to financial concerns

3.8 million motorists admit driving without an MOT in the past year
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Some 3.8 million British motorists – equivalent to one in ten UK drivers – have hit the road without a valid MOT over the last year, new research from Direct Line suggests.

Nearly two thirds (64 per cent) were aware their MOT had expired but drove their vehicle anyway, while 33 per cent only realised this retrospectively.

Nearly half (46 per cent) of those whose MOT had expired driving between 100 and 200 miles, and 17 per cent using their vehicle for at least a week.

29 per cent were concerned about the repair costs as a result of the MOT, so didn’t get this done, while a quarter (24 per cent) were unsure about the terms of the government’s MOT extension, introduced after the first national lockdown.

Alarmingly, some motorists simply thought they’d get away with it.

One in five thought that the police would be busy with other things and unlikely to stop them, while the same proportion thought they were unlikely to be stopped because their vehicle was in a good condition.

The findings are particularly concerning for the 4,527,724 van drivers in the UK.

Department for Transport statistics show that the average age of these vehicles has been creeping upwards for some time – it was just 6.6 years in 2006, but now stands at 8.3 according to the latest 2019 data.

Nearly one in five vans (19 per cent) are more than 13 years of age, while 31 per cent are between 6 and 13 years of age.

Driving one of these without a valid MOT could be dangerous given that DVSA data shows that older vehicles are much more likely to break down on the road.

Jonny McHugh, van business manager at Direct Line, said: “An annual MOT, aside from being a legal requirement, helps to ensure that your vehicle is roadworthy.

“And our research shows that many people may be putting themselves at risk by either knowingly or unknowingly skipping it.

“With the average age of vans creeping upwards, it’s really important that drivers of these vehicles fulfil the legal requirement to protect themselves and other road users.

“It’s really important that drivers are aware of the serious consequences of driving without an MOT and that they set themselves a reminder when their MOT is up for renewal.”

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  • #210739 Reply

    Some 3.8 million British motorists – equivalent to one in ten UK drivers – have hit the road without a valid MOT over the last year, new research from
    [See the full post at: 3.8 million motorists admit driving without an MOT in the past year]

    #210741 Reply
    graham cox
    Guest

    when is the penny going to drop ?
    the average car driver avoids going to the garage if possible to avoid any costs
    so many times people have had bad service/repairs and this is because our industry needs regulation and a strict set of standards
    so those of us that do the job correctly for a sensible price can get some confidence back into our trade
    prime example halfords advert on the tv they are very good at advertising but generally speaking there workshop practices are somewhat borderline and there staff tend to be tyre fitters that can not make the grade in a well run independent or dealer ship
    customers go there car gets poor service garage trade suffers time and time again
    this industry needs a kick up the arse and removing the bad places and regulating the good it is the only way forward

    #210742 Reply
    Julie Pirie
    Guest

    Its the same with road tax we know someone who has been driving without road tax for almost 12 months and we have reported it many times DVLA and the police are not interested

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