Since we last spoke about it, I have purchased a trailer ...

Will give it consideration.

... Why does the fact that the police have the technology of ANPR and the insurance database justify such small-minded condemnation? ...

Its not the technology I mind, its the simply stupid hit-and-miss application of the law, whereby a driver setting out to drive without insurance, tax, mot, driving licence, or any understanding of UK road rules can get away with a small fine, and someone who's totally accidently screwed up a bit of paper work (missed MOT for examlpe) get a huge fine ...

robo-policing replacing real policing, not acceptable IMHO.

But that a whole other thread topic !

If a car fails an MOT you can't legally drive it anywhere, not home, not to a garage, nowhere.

Traffic law is black and white. There is no grace and there is no "it'll be ok".

No doubt people do it but it's not legal and it's not above board.

I'm not trying to be annoying, but briskoda is easily found on google etc, and misinformation could cause someone to break the law without knowing.

I'll be sure to tell my VOSA friend how to do his job next time I see him.

Sorry Shark - I think you are wrong on this one.. The Direct Gov website (http://www.direct.go.../Mot/DG_4022108) states.

Why you need an MOT certificate

It is generally an offence to use on a public road, a vehicle of testable age that doesn’t have a current test certificate, except when:

• taking it to a test station for an MOT test booked in advance
• bringing it away from a test station after it has failed the MOT test, to a place of repair
• taking it to a place, by previous arrangement, where problems that caused the vehicle to fail its MOT test, can be repaired
• bringing it away from a place where the problems with the vehicle have been repaired

Even in the above circumstances you may still be prosecuted for driving an unroadworthy vehicle if it doesn’t comply with various regulations affecting its construction and use. Your car insurance may also be invalid.

...

So the law is NOT black and white on this - the phrase "you MAY still be prosecuted".

So you CAN remove the vehicle from the MOT test centre to a place where it can be fixed - BUT you MAY be prosecuted.. I'd say you'd be prosecuted in cases where the vehicle is in such a state as to be dangerous.. To get a windscreen replaced (for example) may not land you in too much hot water if you are taking it down the road at 30 MPH..

EDIT..

For all those that find this post via a search engine - Please check with VOSA..

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/DG_10011258

Edited 7 January, 201115 yr by HotRod

Well that's an interesting one and contrary to to what I know from two different officers of the law.

Furthermore that very same website just gave me some completely incorrect info about passports.. Gotta love it!

Hey -- it's the government website - it lies just like the governm.... whoops - political.. I'll leave it there shall I..

sorry mot for tax and tax for insurance. still drove for 2 weeks with no mot.

No, it's MOT and INSURANCE you need to get your TAX. Oh, and if you passed an ANPR camera equipped car or road side check, your lack of MOT would have chimed and you'd have been pulled. I also wonder if your insurance would be valid with no current MOT.

... I also wonder if your insurance would be valid with no current MOT.

I'm sure an insurance company will try to weasel out of paying anything, but it may be the case that you'll still be covered for 3rd party liability ( harm to others bit ) ...

Given that can drive to/from MOT station (I'm guessing that a minor MOT failure would be OK - i.e. the car is still safe to others), would seem somewhat wrong if the insurance company didn't cover you 3rd party liability to/from the MOT test station ...

but then again, how often does logical and the real world come into contact ...

Quote:- •taking it to a test station for an MOT test booked in advance

This line is important.

Taking a vehicle to a testing station "on spec" without booking an appointment first is not legal...

iirc the anpr system does NOT check the MOT status of a car at the present time either... i've driven a car on the road without an MOT for a few weeks by mistake of dates

iirc the anpr system does NOT check the MOT status of a car at the present time either... i've driven a car on the road without an MOT for a few weeks by mistake of dates

AFAIK - ANPR does check MOT, Insurance, Road Tax, Registered Keeper, and any other markers (e.g. Nuisance Complaints / Warrants / Drugs / etc).

If there are any police officers on here that can confirm this.

My brother works at a garage / MOT station, and he has been stopped by the police (long story - garage plate fell off the back) because the car he was taking to the scrap yard (1/2 a mile away) had no MOT - it had failed and was beyond economical repair. He should have been using the transporter but as he got stopped right outside the scrap yard and had a garage plate on the front, they waited while he signed it over. The police even drove him back along his route to the garage so he could locate the missing garage plate and informed him to use the transporter in future.

iirc the anpr system does NOT check the MOT status of a car at the present time either... i've driven a car on the road without an MOT for a few weeks by mistake of dates

ANPR does check for MOT although it depends on what ANPR you trigger depends on if you get stopped on or not. ie not all fixed cameras are monitored 24/7. Not all traffic cars have ANPR, so thats maybe why u didnt get stopped. Any officer has access to the details if you are randomly checked and would report you for the offence and if he/she really wanted to could go down the road of seizing the car due to not having a valid insurance policy in place due to the vehicle not being classed as roadworthy(no MOT)

Get and MOT at the nearest MOT station would be my advice!

I'll be sure to tell my VOSA friend how to do his job next time I see him.

Sorry Shark - I think you are wrong on this one.. The Direct Gov website (http://www.direct.go.../Mot/DG_4022108) states.

Why you need an MOT certificate

It is generally an offence to use on a public road, a vehicle of testable age that doesn’t have a current test certificate, except when:

• taking it to a test station for an MOT test booked in advance
• bringing it away from a test station after it has failed the MOT test, to a place of repair
• taking it to a place, by previous arrangement, where problems that caused the vehicle to fail its MOT test, can be repaired
• bringing it away from a place where the problems with the vehicle have been repaired

Even in the above circumstances you may still be prosecuted for driving an unroadworthy vehicle if it doesn’t comply with various regulations affecting its construction and use. Your car insurance may also be invalid.

So the law is NOT black and white on this - the phrase "you MAY still be prosecuted".

So you CAN remove the vehicle from the MOT test centre to a place where it can be fixed - BUT you MAY be prosecuted.. I'd say you'd be prosecuted in cases where the vehicle is in such a state as to be dangerous.. To get a windscreen replaced (for example) may not land you in too much hot water if you are taking it down the road at 30 MPH..

EDIT..

For all those that find this post via a search engine - Please check with VOSA..

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/DG_10011258

Top man, correct post.....................speaking as an MOT tester

ANPR does check for MOT although it depends on what ANPR you trigger depends on if you get stopped on or not.

it more to do with the computerized mot system, there was a cross-over period from the old system to the new one where not all vehicles on the road would be on the database due to them being tested at an 'old' testing station. but I should imagine they are all there now, the other thing is that some types of vehicle are exempt from having a mot certificate