9:23 am, July 25, 2020
Motorists are being reminded the six-month extension for MOTs comes to an end next week.
Any MOT that is due on or after August 1 will not be automatically extended by six months as has been the case up to now.
Drivers who fail to get their vehicles tested from this date will risk incurring hefty fines and even points on their licences.
But any motorist with an MOT due before August 1 will still receive a six-month extension.
As the extension will be handed out seven days before the test falls, it means many motorists today (Jul 25) could take the extension meaning their cars won’t have to be tested for another six months.
Paul Loughlin, solicitor and a specialist in motoring law at Stephensons Solicitors LLP, said: ‘With the easing of lockdown restrictions, there can be an overwhelming urge to jump in our cars and travel anywhere other than being cooped up at home. However, that sense of urgency can come back to bite, particularly if you’re found to be driving without a valid MOT or driving a dangerous vehicle.
‘The government’s decision to reintroduce mandatory testing from August 1, 2020 means that if your MOT is due on or after that date, you must book your vehicle in to be tested as usual. Failure to do so can result in a fine up to £1,000 and if your vehicle is found to be dangerous, it can mean fines of up to £2,500, three points on your license or even a possible ban from driving.
‘There is so much going on at the moment that it can be easy to prioritise other areas. However, the cost of inaction can be so much greater, not only financially but also in respect of your safety and that of any passengers.’
The six-month MOT extension was lifted on July 1 after being in place since March.
It allowed drivers to postpone their car’s MOT test for six months while many garages were shut during lockdown.
There were countless calls for the extension to be lifted sooner than August 1.
One of the most vocal was the Independent Garage Association (IGA). Its chairman, Stuart James, told Car Dealer ‘six weeks would have been sufficient’.
The IGA estimates around 1.6m cars could be on the country’s roads suffering from dangerous defects and won’t be tested for months yet.
Many garages are braced for a busy October as they work through the usual demand and a backlog of tests incurred by the six-month extension.
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