Thousands of Brits don't know when their next MOT is due and risk being slapped with hefty fines if they don't renew in time, according to new research. The mandatory test is crucial to ensure that your vehicle meets the legal standards to drive.
While it is an important requirement, new data from the experts at Goodbye Car indicates that most people don't keep track of when or how to book their next MOT. The specialists have uncovered - and answered - the most commonly asked MOT questions.
While asking when it's due wracked up over 50,000 online searches, other queries including how long an MOT takes and costs were also frequently searched.
If you are caught driving without a valid MOT in the UK, then you can be fined up to £1000. This can increase up to £2500 if you are considered to be driving a dangerous car, as well as potentially landing you with three points on your licence.
Luckily, you can quickly figure out when your next due in seconds. To find out if the MOT is due on your car, you can use the Gov.uk MOT Status Checker where you simply enter your vehicle’s registration plate number.
If your car is new, you’ll need to get an MOT test done before the third anniversary of its registration. However, the test is not just for safety as it also checks that the vehicle meets environmental and exhaust emissions standards.
How long does an MOT take?
On average, an MOT test in the UK takes between 45 and 60 minutes from start to finish. However, this can be longer if your car fails the test or there are complications that need to be looked into further.
You might find that the test centre keeps your car for the day, even though the test itself shouldn’t take more than an hour. So make sure you’ve planned to be without it.
How much does an MOT cost?
The cost of your MOT will depend on the test centre you’ve chosen and the type of car or motorcycle that you have.
There are maximum fees that MOT test stations can charge, which are £54.85 for a car and £39.65 for a standard motorcycle. The price can rise to a maximum of £124.50 if you have a Class 5 vehicle with more than 16 passenger seats.
What does MOT stand for?
MOT stands for Ministry of Transport, the company responsible for creating the test in the first place, to determine whether or not a car was safe to be legally out on the roads.
The actual Ministry of Transport doesn’t exist anymore in the present day, as it’s evolved into what we know now as the Department of Transport.
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