MOT booking and driving the car - is there a limit?

[coullstar 0]

Ok it seems the emmisions issues with my car is solved however I have to get it down to PSI to get the work done. They are about 360miles from where I live and its currnetly has no tax or MOT. Emissons were the only issue for MOT so the car is safe.

 

I know you can drive the car without an MOT to a station as long as its booked for the MOT work and test but is there a limit on distance?

If stopped could I argue that since this is specialist work I can only go to them?

 

How does the tax work?

[mic_VR 3]

Not sure on the distance front but I'd say if you were unlucky enough to get stopped you might be able to convince them because of the specialist nature of the work required the distance you need to travel is required.

 

On the Tax situation, I'd take everything else you need to do it and get the tax at a post office near PSI as soon as the MOT is done. I'd say the same as the distance, if you have all your documents and can prove it's booked in and you're being genuine with the police then hopefully they'll see sense.

 

Other thing I'd consider is the fact you won't be covered from an insurance point of view as your policy will almost certainly need you to have a valid MOT certificate. Not sure what the police will do about this, if they were being really funny they could claim you were driving without insurance, but I'd be more worried about if you did unfortunately have an accident you'd have no comeback.

 

The whole thing is a risk I guess, depends whether you're happy to take it or not? :?

[coullstar 0]

Yuo can tax by phone now

[corozin 0]

Ok it seems the emmisions issues with my car is solved however I have to get it down to PSI to get the work done. They are about 360miles from where I live and its currnetly has no tax or MOT. Emissons were the only issue for MOT so the car is safe.

 

I know you can drive the car without an MOT to a station as long as its booked for the MOT work and test but is there a limit on distance?

If stopped could I argue that since this is specialist work I can only go to them?

 

How does the tax work?

Honestly I think you really would be pushing your luck if you tried to drive the car to an MOT test 360 miles away. I think you'd be very hard pressed to convince a dibble that a Volkswagen requires such specialist work.

As for the tax, your other problem is that with a distance like that you'll trigger half the ANPR cameras in the country. Even if you're lucky enough not to pass a police car with one fitted the roadside versions will be directing the traffic division to your location.

[coullstar 0]

To be honest that was my initial thought but just its worth asking.

[mic_VR 3]

As for the tax, your other problem is that with a distance like that you'll trigger half the ANPR cameras in the country. Even if you're lucky enough not to pass a police car with one fitted the roadside versions will be directing the traffic division to your location.

 

A fair point I grant you but I'd say extremely unlikely as the system isn't that good. If it were there would be hundreds of people without tax or insurance being chased up and down the country by the boys in blue...... and I suspect that isn't the case as the police themselves are the first to say how many people are out there uninsured or untaxed.

 

To be honest the safest thing would be to trailer it if it has to get to PSI. You sure they can't tell someone up your way what they need to do to get it running right?

[vr6storm 0]

Yuo can tax by phone now

 

 

speak to Dave Manson up here G,he knows the ins and outs of VR6 ECU's and does his own mapping now IIRC,I'm sure a 24v lump is within his capabilities

[coullstar 0]

Aye Daves been helping me so far with this. Thing is I am next to useless when it come to this but I suppose there is only one way to learn....

[cdem 0]

Im pretty much in the same boat, after having my car off the road for a while while ive been doing work to it i declared it SORN and the mot has since run out. I wasnt sure wether id have to take it on a trailer to the mot station or wether id be able to drive it. Nobody seems to have a yes or no answer :?

 

 

Yuo can tax by phone now

 

 

Do you not need the mot certificate number though?

[shaung60 0]

Im pretty much in the same boat, after having my car off the road for a while while ive been doing work to it i declared it SORN and the mot has since run out. I wasnt sure wether id have to take it on a trailer to the mot station or wether id be able to drive it. Nobody seems to have a yes or no answer :?

 

 

Yuo can tax by phone now

 

 

Do you not need the mot certificate number though?

If your car is insured and you have booked a test at the MOT station you can drive it there. Even if it is presently SORN. You are not going to get it taxed without an MOT.

[corozin 0]

As for the tax, your other problem is that with a distance like that you'll trigger half the ANPR cameras in the country. Even if you're lucky enough not to pass a police car with one fitted the roadside versions will be directing the traffic division to your location.

 

A fair point I grant you but I'd say extremely unlikely as the system isn't that good. If it were there would be hundreds of people without tax or insurance being chased up and down the country by the boys in blue...... and I suspect that isn't the case as the police themselves are the first to say how many people are out there uninsured or untaxed.

 

You should be right, but you have to factor in sod's law...

[coullstar 0]

Which I seem to be meeting a lot right now so I wont risk it. Going to try and sort it up here first I think.

[blue95 0]

Drove mine from MK to far side of Bedford (good 45 min trip), car was sorn, no tax or MOT.

 

I was told as long you have it booked in (and cops can ring up to confirm this) you are OK. Only prob being is that you are not covered for breakdowns as you need valid tax.

 

I was told this by several people, read it on a .gov website and finally was told by a transport company who I tried to hire to shift the motor!

[swiftkid 1]

why don't you ring the 5-0 and get them to confirm it for you? if you explain the situation they may be able to provide you with a cover note perhaps to present to anyone the does pull you.

[corozin 0]

Drove mine from MK to far side of Bedford (good 45 min trip), car was sorn, no tax or MOT.

I was told as long you have it booked in (and cops can ring up to confirm this) you are OK. Only prob being is that you are not covered for breakdowns as you need valid tax.

I was told this by several people, read it on a .gov website and finally was told by a transport company who I tried to hire to shift the motor!

 

With respect, driving from MK to Bedford is hardly the same as the journey the OP was contemplating is it? The point is the rules do allow you to book in a car for MOT and drive it to the test, however in realistic terms trying to convince a Trafpol that your driving 360 miles from home to get an MOT done is pushing the boundaries of luck.

 

If the Trafpol had reason to believe the OP was acting unreasonably and decided to impound the untaxed, un MOT'd and potentially unroadworthy car at the roadside, the OP would possibly have a very long walk home indeed. They can (and do) do that now regularly now with untaxed/MOT'd cars. I doubt if even having an MOT booking would prevent that if the officer had reason to believe the boundaries of reasonableness were being exploited.

[Walesy 0]

Not to mention the possibility of an accident occurring and someone being injured or worse, I don't think there's a copper or court in the country that would consider a 360 mile trip for an MOT acceptable.