A Freedom of Information (FoI) request for Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has revealed that millions of motorists are taking to the roads without a valid MOT, risking a significant financial penalty.

Love Money report that the FoI request from MoneySuperMarket showed that an incredible 7,622,653 cars went for an MOT after the expiry of the previous pass, which essentially means that during 2019 there were over seven and a half million cars on the road that were potentially unsafe to drive.

The FoI showed that four out of five drivers did get their vehicles checked over within three months of their MOT expiry, indicating that the failure to get a valid pass was more likely out of tardiness than actively avoiding the mandatory test. For indiscernible reasons, May appeared to be the most common time of year for late MOTs.

The penalty for being caught driving without a valid MOT is a fine of up to £1,000, and if the vehicle has been declared dangerous, then that rises to £2,500, three points on your licence and the possibility of being banned from driving.

It is expected that the number of late tests will be much higher in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, as the government announced a six-month extension to MOT expiry dates when the lockdown measures were enforced, causing many garages to close down. This has now been scaled back, and mandatory MOTs were reintroduced on 1 August.

It’s now vital for drivers to be more aware of when their MOT is due and to book it in good time, as there is due to be a rush in motorists needing to get the inspection performed, and not risk getting fined.

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