From the 1st August 2020, motorists will be able to complete an MOT test, as Covid-19 restrictions are slowly being lifted.
In March, drivers of cars, motorbikes and vans were granted a six-month extension to the MOT certificate. However, for all MOTs which expire after 1st August, motorists will be required to get an MOT certificate in order to stay legal.
Once the MOT certificate has expired, without a valid extension, a car may only be driven on the day of the MOT test, and only from overnight parking to the MOT test centre.
MOT expired March – July?
If your MOT expired between 30th March and 31st July, you are still able to take advantage of the 6-month extension. However, your vehicle must be in a roadworthy state at all times. Failure to keep your car roadworthy may result in a prosecution.
Even with this extension, general advice is to book an MOT test well in advance to make sure you get a booking. MOT garages will be very busy in the second half of 2020 as a year’s worth of work is crammed in to six months.
Tips to keep roadworthy
The government has some general advice, found here, for keeping your car safe on the road. The key things to check are:
- Lights – check all indicators, brake lights and headlights are in good working order. These would normally be picked up at MOT but are easy and cheap to fix yourself, or through your local garage.
- Clean windscreen – make sure wipers are in good working order, washer bottle is topped up with water and the windscreen is free from large chips or cracks. Most car insurance companies will have some form of windscreen cover included. If your windscreen is cracked or badly chipped, get it sorted before MOT.
- Tyre tread – the legal minimum tyre tread is 1.6mm. This can be easily checked by feeling for the ‘bridge’ in the grooves around the tyre. If they are flush with the outside of the groove, then the tyre needs changing. Tyres must also be free of cuts and defects.
Don’t invalidate your car insurance
You are required to keep your car in a roadworthy condition. Driving without a valid MOT certificate can invalidate your car insurance, making a potentially bad day much worse.
If you have any questions about your car insurance, or wish to get a competitive quote, call our team on 01243 784000 or get a quote online.
