Conference terri::cars_uk

    Andy
    
    You will DEFINATELY be breaking the law if you drive the car home
    without Mot or road tax.
    
    Technically you are breaking the law by driving driving home after
    failing an MoT. However, you are allowed a retest against the old
    certificate up to a month before the old one expires so you still have
    proof with the old certificate should the car fail but there is the 
    argument that if it does fail it is not fit to be used on the road.
    
    Royston

    > If you buy a car privately that has no tax or MOT can you drive it
    > anywhere?
 
     I don't know the situation re tax but you're allowed to drive it to
  a _pre-booked_ MOT test.

    >         For instance if your car fails an MOT at a garage you must at
    > least be able to drive it home in order to get it patched up.
   
     I wouldn't bet on it but I don't know for sure.  It might depend on
   the type of failure.

>       I've got a question for those of you out there that know motoring
>    law. If you buy a car privately that has no tax or MOT can you drive it
>    anywhere? For instance if your car fails an MOT at a garage you must at
>    least be able to drive it home in order to get it patched up.
    
I think that literally speaking you are not allowed to do this, but if
you can prove that your journey is for the sole purpose of moving the
vehicle to a place where it'll be garaged or MOT'd they tend to turn
a blind eye.

A couple of years ago I bought a car which wasn't taxed (and therefore
uninsured) though I'd already applied for a tax disc.  I was hassled by
an over zealous (and unnecessarily rude) traffic warden, and a demand for
a large fine soon appeared in the post.  I wrote back explaining the
circumstances, and, after providing proof by means of photocopies of
documents, they relented and waived the fine.  Maybe I was lucky, but
I don't think that they're totally unreasonable!

Chris.

    
    No there is no allowance in law for getting it home, after purchase or
    Mot failure. The only allowance is for driving directly to a pre-booked
    MOT, It depends on the failure but if it is considered very dangerous
    the MOT tester can issue a red ticket this means the vehicle should not
    be driven on the road under any circumstances ie. overrides any
    remaining MOT and the right to drive to an MOT station.
    
    Also please bear in mind that any defects even if driving to an MOT are
    still road traffic act offences, your right is to drive it to a
    pre-booked MOT without MOT cover NOT to drive a defective vehicle on
    the road.
    
    If you purchase a vehicle with no MOT but you think it will pass ie no
    known defects you can take it from the place of purchase to a
    pre-booked MOT,(but even if it passes that will leave you at an MOT
    station with an MOT but no Tax, but thats another story), otherwise if 
    you play it by the book it should be removed to your premises (off-public 
    highway) or a place for repair by trailer.
    
    Richard (Special Constable) 
    
    Ps. Please note the above is my interpretation and understanding of the
    law only, it is not a direct extract from the law and neither am I
    qualified to make statements on behalf of the Constabulary. But that is
    how I would deal with it. 

    
    My understanding was that not only must the MOT test be pre-booked, but
    it has to be at the nearest MOT station to the address at which the
    vehicle is kept.
    
    No good living in Cornwall and booking your test in Aberdeen!
    
    Nigel
    

    re: .3 �car which wasn't taxed (and therefore uninsured)
    
    This is news to me. Sure its an offence not to display road tax but if
    you were in an accident your insurance would still be valid. However,
    its a different story if it doesn't have an MoT.
    
    Royston

    
>    My understanding was that not only must the MOT test be pre-booked, but
>    it has to be at the nearest MOT station to the address at which the
>    vehicle is kept.
 
	This is crazy, do you have to drive around in your un-motted
	car so as to find all the MOT stations, then go to the closest?

	I let my MOT run out....1 day -opps, I took it to a garage 2 miles
	away, as they could do it at a days notice.

	Does this mean I should have taken it to the one only 0.5 miles away
	even though they couldn't do it for a week?

	And I suppose there were others within 2 miles, if I went towards
	Reading rather than towards Newbury.

	Did I break the law?

	Heather

    
    > This is crazy
    
    It's to do with the law, did you expect it to make sense?  8^)
    
    You could just check in the Yellow Pages (let your fingers do the
    driving).
    
    I suspect that any policeman that stopped you in the circumstances you
    describe would apply a little common sense. If you'd tried to drive to
    London (for example), you'd probably attract more interest. You'd 
    definitely get them interested if the test wasn't pre-booked.
    
    Nigel.
    

	but not everyone who does MOTs pays to advertise themselves in yellow
	pages.

	Heather

    re .6
    
    I think you will find that if you read the small print in the policy it
    require that the car is taxed and has a current MOT for the policy to
    be valid.
    
    Alan

Unless they are a VERY new operation, and are advertising in the local press, I 
would not TOUCH with a BARGEPOLE any MOT station that was not even LISTED in the
yellow pages. There are way too many cowboys around as it is!.

	JT:

        All businesses get in Yellow Pages. It's only the display ads
        that have to be paid for.

    I think the point is, is the vehicle safe to be on the road ?
    If you have carefully looked at the vehicle, and *know* it is going
    to pass, then you should have no worries. Even if plod does stop you
    and enquire into your lack of tax/mot, if they can't find anything
    wrong with the vehicle, they will turn a blind eye.
    If, however you buy a pig in a poke (my method), and plod stops you,
    and they find that the brakes don't work, the steerings knacked, and
    two bald tyres, they will do you for everything they can.
    So, be careful to check the vehicle before you drive it away. Or get
    the AA man to go with you and check it.
    Now there's a new line for the AA/RAC - doorstep MOT's !
    
    FWIW last time I bought a vehicle in this way, I prebooked an MOT with
    a garage local to me. I know if I had been stopped on the M25 on the
    way home it would have taken some explaining, but I figured that at
    least I had made a gesture towards the law.
    
    Rob

>Unless they are a VERY new operation, and are advertising in the local press, I 
>would not TOUCH with a BARGEPOLE any MOT station that was not even LISTED in the
>yellow pages. There are way too many cowboys around as it is!.

	That's not my point, if the law says I have to take it to the nearest
	station, how do I find out which the nearest is.

	Heather

>        All businesses get in Yellow Pages. It's only the display ads
>        that have to be paid for.

	This is untrue, my father runs a business, his number is not in yellow
	pages.

	There are many contractors that run businesses, they are not in
	yellow pages.

	My mechanic, who is excellent, runs his own business, he's not in
	yelow pages.

	Many good businesses prefer to work on word of mouth and referred 
	business, as their order book is backed up, and they'd rather work 
	with referrels.

	I had a business line put it, it's not in yellow pages.

	Heather

    
    Before you all go out and burn your yellow pages I must say that 
    I find them particularly good for book shops,
                 
    regards,
    
    J.R. Hartley

"Have you got Leather clad Werebitches from Hell?"

"You have!", "The name ..."

    Returning to -0, no you cant drive an untested untaxed vehicle
    anywhere, except for the trip to the MOT station as previously
    mentioned.
    
    So, why not hire a trailer & transport it home with the aid of a good
    friend with a car+towbar ? Much less dodgy :^)
    
    Anyone know what the situation is to TOW a car with no Tax/Test ?
    Never dunnit meself, just curious.
    
    Tony.

    
    Towing a car wins you nothing. It's still a "mechanically propelled
    vehicle" so all the rules apply (even if the engine's dead!).
    
    Nigel
    

        You can tow a car without tax etc if the car is on a trailor or 
        towing dolly.
        
        Simon

	Of course you can tow on a trailer.........otherwise all those
	cars coming back from Alsermaston stock car racing would be in deep
	do-dos

	Heather

>    Returning to -0, no you cant drive an untested untaxed vehicle
>    anywhere, except for the trip to the MOT station as previously
>    mentioned.
        
	...or to a polling station for the purpose of registering your
        vote in an election.
        
        Ian (who has done it).    

    OK, Ian, you can drive it, but not legally :^)
    
    Rathole
      |
      |
      V
    Who drives their OWN car to a polling station ?
    

	Alright Tony, I give up!

	Who does drive their own car to the Polling Station?

				Malcolm.