Insurance News Car Insurance Invalidated For 4.7million Who Miss MOT Test Date
28 April 2009 / by Rachael Stiles
Each year 4.7million motorists put their car insurance policy in jeopardy by not renewing their MOT on time, research from uSwitch has discovered.
As many as 65 per cent of motorists on UK roads are knowingly driving around with invalid car insurance because their MOT certificate is out of date, the statistics from uSwitch have revealed.
Not only do they admit to driving without a valid MOT – and therefore without valid insurance – but it takes a third of them up to a month to get around to booking an MOT test after their renewal deadline expires, and more than 10 per cent take even longer.
Almost 80 per cent of drivers who miss their MOT renewal date admit it is simply down to their forgetfulness, while 11 per cent say it is due to them changing their car.
uSwitch says that with half of motorists putting off buying a new car at the moment as their finances are squeezed, it is more important than ever to ensure their existing cars are up to scratch.
Driving without a valid MOT can carry a fine of £1,000, and because it invalidates the car insurance policy, the driver is liable for any costs of repairs to their own car as well as damage incurred by third parties.
Being convicted of driving without valid car insurance can lead to a 43 per cent increase in car insurance premiums, and, more than 20 per cent of three year old cars fail their MOT test, so drivers are jeopardising their safety and that of others by driving a car which is potentially un-roadworthy.
“Life moves at a pretty fast pace and so it is understandable that many consumers may find themselves losing track of deadlines and commitments,” said Mark Monteiro, insurance expert at uSwitch.com. “However, failure to remember your MOT renewal date is not only an offence, but the potential safety and financial consequences are a hefty price to pay for an innocent lapse of memory.”
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