The vehicle owner's checklist

It’s not all about physical maintenance when it comes to car ownership. You also have to think about compliance e.g. paying for tax, insurance and an MOT on an annual basis.

It’s a lot to keep up with and recent Tempcover research revealed:

• 28% of drivers don’t have a regular service - either annually or after 12,000 miles
• 21% of drivers have missed an MOT renewal
• 18% of drivers have missed an insurance renewal
• 17% of drivers have missed their road tax renewal

What belongs in the vehicle owner’s checklist?

To avoid being one of the above, you could compile your very own checklist of car compliance and maintenance reminders. Whether digital or physical, you can use these notes to ensure you don’t get caught out.

• At the time of your next service, make a note of the date and how many miles are on the car. Pop a reminder in your phone or calendar for 11 (not 12) months’ time so you can arrange your next full service ahead of time, or keep an eye on your mileage if you need to get the car to the garage before.
• Missed an MOT? Don’t do it again. Many garages will offer free reminder services, especially if you take your test with them - and you can also take advantage of the government’s MOT reminder service. If you have a calendar with key dates, make sure you add the MOT due date to this.
• It’s also easy to miss an insurance renewal or expiry date. While some insurers will attempt to let you know when your cover is due to end, not all offer this service. Some may offer an auto-renewal but it’s worth shopping around for a cheaper quote, especially if you’re looking for a year-long policy. With temporary car insurance, you’ll need to buy another policy when the original expires, but this is very quick to do.
• You’ll receive a paper V11 form from the DVLA before your car tax is due. Again, you can sign up for a free Driver and vehicles account on gov.uk to receive email and SMS text reminders when it comes to paying for road tax.

Why do drivers forget MOTs, insurance and tax?

We asked the drivers in our poll why they didn’t renew these legal requirements and the main reason was forgetfulness.

• 49% said ‘it slipped my mind because I was busy’
• 43% said ‘I didn’t realise it was due to soon’
• 30% said ‘I’d assumed I’d get a reminder (but didn’t)’

The majority do not drive with these issues knowingly, with 41% resolving the issue in less than a week and 35% within one to three weeks.

Of those who did drive knowingly without a valid MOT, insurance or tax:

• 19% claimed they ‘had to drive for an emergency’
• 19% said they were ‘only making a short/local journey’
• 16% were ‘waiting to book an MOT’

The penalties for driving without these important documents can potentially cost you a lot of money and affect your driving record with penalty points…

What happens in an MOT test?

An MOT test is a mandatory vehicle inspection that checks if your car meets all UK road safety and environmental standards on an annual basis. Legally required for all vehicles over three years old, the MOT test will check:

• A variety of car parts
• The vehicle’s body, structure and general items
• Towbars
• Fuel system
• Exhaust emissions
• Exhaust system
• Seatbelts
• Seats
• Doors
• Mirrors
• Load security
• Brakes
• Tyres and wheels
• Registration plates
• Lights
• Bonnet
• Wipers and washer
• Windscreen
• Horn
• Steering and suspension
• Vehicle identification number (VIN)
• Electrical wiring and battery

Many drivers will book MOTs and services at the same time, but there are significant differences, not least in the fact the MOT is legally required.

Penalties for driving without a valid MOT

It’s illegal to drive a car on any UK road without a valid MOT. The only exception is if you’re driving the vehicle to a pre-booked MOT appointment or garage to fix a dangerous fault.

You cannot drive or park your vehicle on the road if the MOT has run out. You can be prosecuted if caught.

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

If you drive without an MOT and have an accident, your insurance could be invalidated as your car’s potential lack of roadworthiness may have contributed to the incident.

There are websites that send you messages or notifications when your MOT is due, including the government’s MOT reminder service.

What is the fine for driving without insurance?

If you’re caught driving without insurance, you could receive:

• £300 fixed penalty notice
• 6 penalty points

Your vehicle could also potentially be seized and crushed. If the case goes to court, there is no maximum fine. This is why it’s so important to have cover whenever you drive.

Whenever you renew your insurance, you should make a note of when it expires and not rely on automatic reminders from your insurance company (some may offer this service, but others may not). Likewise, if you’re taking out temporary car insurance, check when it expires so you can buy a new policy if needed.

If you’ve accidentally forgotten to renew your insurance, you can take out temporary car insurance in the meantime. Available for up to 28 days, this comprehensive policy gives you plenty of time to look into your yearly cover.

What’s the penalty for driving without tax?

You could be fined up to £1,000 if you’re caught driving without road tax (or vehicle excise duty, to give it its full name).

If your vehicle is caught by an ANPR camera and flagged as being untaxed, you will receive a letter and fine of £80. This will be reduced to just £40 if you pay the fine within 28 days and you won’t receive any points on your licence.

If you fail to pay this fine, you could be prosecuted. This is where the car tax fine can rise up to £1,000. The DVLA will also have the power to clamp or seize your vehicle until the correct amount is paid.

If you’re not planning to drive your car for a while and can park it on private land, you can declare it as SORN. This will let the DVLA know the vehicle is currently off the road and not being driven.

You can renew your vehicle tax every 6 or 12 months. Set up a Driver and vehicles account via the government website to set up vehicle tax reminders by email and SMS.

What else should I make a note of?

While it’s not a legal requirement, you should take care of your car with basic maintenance and regular servicing. It’s recommended that cars have a full service every 12 months or 12,000 miles driven - whichever comes first.

Keeping on top of this can help keep your car in working order and help avoid major issues that are expensive to fix.

Set up reminders, make notes and enjoy peace of mind

Don’t risk overlooking your MOT, tax, or insurance - even for a short journey.

Check your MOT and tax status on the government website at regular intervals and make sure you have your insurance renewal date both in your calendar and written down physically in a safe space.

Sources

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/driving-without-tax-guide/

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/car-parts-checked-at-an-mot/car-parts-checked-at-an-mot

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/

https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot

https://www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/driving-without-insurance

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/driving-without-insurance/

https://www.surrey.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rs/road-safety/driving-without-insurance/

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-enforcement-policy/dvla-enforcement-of-vehicle-tax-registration-and-insurance-offences