CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

MOTs (and driving without one)

(29 posts)
  • Started 8 years ago by kaputnik
  • Latest reply from wee folding bike

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  1. kaputnik
    Moderator

    My attention was drawn this evening to a car being driven in an intimidating manner as I came home from Gaelic class with my head already swimming with strange sounds.

    Anyway, blue Subaru Impreza of the World Rally type as favoured by shaven-headed hardmen around this part of town. ST04 WZW.

    Traffic slow-to-medium so I was keeping pace, being slowly overtaken then catching back up at the lights. Each time the Subaru passed me, the driver put his foot down just enough to encourage his modified engine to loudly backfire. Once? A coincidence. Twice? Silly. Three times? Deliberate.

    Anyway we parted company but I clocked the registration. On checking the vehicle is taxed but has no MOT. I understand it's an offence to drive a vehicle without one unless you have an exemption or are on your way to/from a test centre. I doubt the former and the latter? Well it was 930PM so he wasn't doing either.

    Worth taking the time to report? Will the Police even bother?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  2. Nelly
    Member

    Report it, there are multiple cars on my commute route clamped due to MOT and Tax missing, and I doubt they are all caught by chance.

    Also, the police hate uninsured cars as much as we do (and without MOT he is uninsured).

    Posted 8 years ago #

  3. algo
    Member

    definitely report it - cars like that, driven like that, go through brake parts fairly quickly and it's probably the last thing the owner is concerned about maintaining - the MOT is there precisely so brake pad wear, brake pipe corrosion etc.. is spotted without the owner having to check for themselves. Will keep a look out for it - would be good to find out where it is regularly parked.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  4. wingpig
    Member

    "Will keep a look out for it - would be good to find out where it is regularly parked."

    If it's one of those ones with yellow sparkles all over it there are a few of that sort of thing around Findlay Gardens and the likes.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  5. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Yup, call it in. You may well be doing the driver multiple favours.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  6. steveo
    Member

    Plus anyone else who happens to share the road with him.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  7. chdot
    Admin

    "Will keep a look out for it - would be good to find out where it is regularly parked."

    Carefully...

    Posted 8 years ago #

  8. steveo
    Member

    The only problem with the new system of VED is that with out the tax disk as as constant reminder I often forget when my MOT is due. Not defending this guy but it is easy done.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  9. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Not MOT'd. Last MOT expired June 28, 2016

    "

    http://www.ukvehicle.com/ST04WZW/

    Presume MOT stations tell Cardiff(?) quickly and db updated quickly too.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  10. steveo
    Member

    Last MOT expired June 28, 2016

    missed that it was quite so far out.

    Yeah its all updated quickly, I've had my insurance and MOT run out the same day and had no bother getting the insurance renewed.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  11. chdot
    Admin

    "had no bother getting the insurance renewed"

    Well you hope they checked...

    Posted 8 years ago #

  12. chdot
    Admin

    What's the law on 'no MOT, seize and crush'?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  13. algo
    Member

    I believe mechanisms exist to remind you for the MOT as well (haven't checked this fully)

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/182296/MOT_Reminder_Service.pdf

    Posted 8 years ago #

  14. steveo
    Member

    Well you hope they checked...

    As I understand it the insurance companies are pretty hot on that db.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  15. steveo
    Member

    You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving a vehicle without a valid MOT.

    looks like that service is dead algo though there are million others, I should probably sign up for one.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  16. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    When I asked police to enforce the law around Liberton Primary School some years ago in pure frustration at the frequent near-doorings and blind U-turns and parking on double yellows etc they kindly did a blitz and told me what happened.

    Two drivers walked home and one car was confiscated and crushed.

    I wouldn't go looking for the car in this case or any other case. Let the police do that - people don't like having their cars crushed.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  17. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Thanks guys will see if I can get through on 101 later.

    Wingpig it was the gloss blue variety, not the one with the full yellow sparkly rally markings. Big bumper, spoiler and (naturally) exhaust paired with unnecessarily low driving position. We're talking lower than a laidback bike low!

    It was headed down London Road, didn't turn off down Marionville like most of them.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  18. Frenchy
    Member

    Not MOT'd. Last MOT expired June 28, 2016

    http://www.ukvehicle.com/ST04WZW/

    Presume MOT stations tell Cardiff(?) quickly and db updated quickly too.

    Worse - your link says it failed an MOT on August 3rd. So this:

    1. Definitely isn't a case of "Oops, sorry, forgot MOT was due".
    2. Is a car deemed unsafe, yet still being driven

    DVLA is in Swansea.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  19. algo
    Member

    Am I right in thinking a passing police car equipped with a camera should automatically be able to recognise this? If so you'd hope it's just a matter of time....

    Posted 8 years ago #

  20. chdot
    Admin

    Ah yes Swansea, thanks.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  21. Murun Buchstansangur
    Member

    I'm a bit sceptical the police will do much about this - it may not be an offence for an unMOTted car to be parked on a public road, provided it's taxed & insured, so they would have to catch the miscreant actually driving. The fact that it's taxed for a further 6 months may reduce their interest still further.

    Have never seen mobile ANPR in action, but if it does pick up MOT status, I imagine it must go off dozens of time in a shift. So I would reckon who gets pulled over is triaged according to aggravating factors (vehicle's apparent condition, no tax or insurance, how it appears to being driven & by whom, etc).

    Posted 8 years ago #

  22. wee folding bike
    Member

    I've seen a mobile ANPR beside the old Shanks depot on the east bound A8 near Coatbridge.

    And sometimes those cop shows have an alarm go off triggered by the in car ANPR which they do follow up in the show.

    There was a clamped and stickered Audi at Airdrie Tesco a few weeks ago.

    Failed in August would make it difficult to claim they were driving to the testing station and they station has to have a note of the number before you leave the house.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  23. Baldcyclist
    Member

    Easy to forget MOT these days. We discovered a few months ago that we'd been driving around without one for 3 months.

    You don't get a certificate these days, and we usually rely on the dealer to remind us (car admin not top of my list of things to do). For whatever reason they didn't this year. As soon as I realised it was sorted, and car didn't require anything done to pass, so at least we hadn't been driving about with an unsafe car.

    Wonder if they'll tell us next year...

    Posted 8 years ago #

  24. Blueth
    Member

    Surely the test station at least provided a dated receipt that could be referred to? Not many people nowadays do not use some sort of technology in to which one can put a reminder.

    I don't think the Polis would accept the current electronic, as opposed to paper, system as an excuse, or even a reason.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  25. Baldcyclist
    Member

    No excuse, if caught we'd have been entitled to 73 years imprisonment, or whatever cce deems appropriate.

    We have a receipt now, however it hadn't been MOT'd before so no pre-existing receipt.

    The dealer did tell us when it needed serviced, just not when it needed it's first MOT. Probably our fault for using Arnold Clark to buy this one. Murray Volvo were much stronger on customer service.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  26. jonty
    Member

    https://twitter.com/LesleyRiddoch/status/785834482289020928

    "Just got £100 fine cos my car's MOT had just expired. Police say lots of folk in same boat cos no road tax reminders anymore. Do check!"

    (I think I got a road tax reminder this year?)

    Posted 8 years ago #

  27. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Just got £100 fine cos my car's MOT had just expired. Police say lots of folk in same boat cos no road tax reminders anymore

    mixing up her VED and MOT?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  28. cb
    Member

    Although often VED and MOT are roughly in sync as you often sort them both when buying a car so a VED reminder works as a MOT reminder. Maybe that's what she means?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  29. wee folding bike
    Member

    I've got the VED as a monthly direct debt.

    I know when the MOTs are up and even if I didn't I have electric devices which are useful for reminding you of regularly recurring events. I'm sure I've seen other people with such things too.

    Posted 8 years ago #

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