Your MOT might be an inconvenience to you, something that you put off until the last possible moment, but there are a number of reasons to get it done as early as possible – and they could possibly change the process from being a pain in the neck to being a perfectly acceptable exercise. According to UK law, motorists need to have a proper MOT certificate with them no matter which area they are driving in; be it London, Hampshire or even towards Wales or Scotland!
Let us have a look at some benefits of a timely MOT test.
1. You Get An ‘Extra’ Month
When you book your MOT as early as possible, which is one month before the due date, you get to keep that anniversary date. This can mean that if you get your test done on the first possible day, you will end up with an MOT for thirteen months effectively. Of course, if you routinely book it early, there will only be twelve months between MOTs, but you will always have that extra month as a backstop against unforeseeable delays.
2. You’re Legally Compliant
With the MOT test, you are required by law to always have a valid certificate. There is no grace period after the expiry, despite this being a common misconception – there is a persistent rumour that you have a two week grace period after the expiry date on your MOT certificate: this is not true at all and there are a number of rueful drivers who are now wiser, slightly poorer and possibly even have penalty points on their licence who can attest to this!
You Have Time To Make Repairs
By getting your MOT done while you still have time on your existing MOT certificate, you can drive your car away from what would have otherwise been a failed MOT. Note that this does NOT apply should your MOT fail be due to a ‘dangerous’ fault – this overrides your existing certificate and the garage should take steps to prevent you from going on the roads in a dangerous vehicle, for the sake of you and other road users. But if your failures are relatively minor, you have time to drive your car away, arrange for the repairs to be done, and then have the retest within the time remaining on the existing certificate, so you are never out of compliance.
You Can Book At Your Convenience
Having that month to play around in, you can book your MOT at your garage of choice, for a time of your choosing, and have the peace of mind of knowing that your test will be completed in excellent time before the deadline – before, in short, you start to stress about it! Lets say, if you are in London, it has many reliable MOT Test centres.You can also book MOT online in London at DAT Tyres website and all the work is carried out in accordance with DVSA regulations.
You Can Renew Your Tax And Insurance Promptly
You cannot renew your tax and insurance without a valid MOT certificate, and many policies are designed to run concurrently with your MOT certificate. This means that delays in getting your test done – for example should you leave it to the last possible moment, but then have major faults which need to be sorted before your certificate is issued, this can mean that your insurance or tax cover can run out before you have the new certificate.In case,f you have no tax or insurance, your car is at risk of being seized by the police and being crushed unless you can race around to get it fixed. You should have the MOT retest done, immediately call the tax and insurance lines and make your payments. It is better by far to spread MOT expenses out between pay-days, if possible, with the MOT and repairs coming from one pay cheque, while the tax and insurance come out the following month