According to a study by the car insurance team at Compare the Market, 18% of UK drivers admit to having driven a car without a valid MOT status for their vehicle.
The data reportedly suggests the number of motorists driving without a valid MOT certificate is increasing, as only 11% of motorists admitted to this offence in the same study conducted by Compare the Market a year ago.
Driving without an MOT appeared to be much more common in some cities than others, with 24% of drivers in Manchester admitting to the offence, compared to fewer than 3% of drivers in Glasgow.
Birmingham and Sheffield were also high on the list, with 23% and 22% of drivers admitting to committing to this offence, respectively.
| Rank | City | % driving without a valid MOT |
| 1 | Manchester | 24% |
| 2 | Birmingham | 23% |
| 3 | Sheffield | 22% |
| 4 | London | 21% |
| 5 | Belfast | 19% |
| 6 | Liverpool | 18% |
| 7 | Bristol | 17% |
| 8 | Nottingham | 17% |
| 9 | Cardiff | 15% |
| 10 | Norwich | 15% |
Simply forgetting to check the status of the vehicles MOT was said to be the most common cause for committing this offence, according to Compare the Market’s research, with 27% of drivers giving this reason, with 25% of motorists claiming they didn’t note the day it expired.
However, more than 22% said they have driven without an MOT because they couldn’t afford the work needed for their car to pass the test. Over one in 10 also said they drove without a valid MOT status because they couldn’t afford an appointment.
The cost of living crisis may be to blame for the increasing number of drivers avoiding their MOT test. In Compare the Market’s study last year, only 18% of drivers who admitted to driving without an MOT said it was because they couldn’t afford the work their car needed, compared to the 22% who said the same this year.
Almost half of motorists (46%) claimed to not know what consequences are associated for driving without a valid MOT certificate, while 49% guessed the consequences incorrectly.
Only 4% correctly identified you can be fined up to £1,000 for driving without a valid MOT, with no penalty points at risk.
Julie Daniels from Compare the Market, said: “An MOT is a legally required annual inspection of cars, motorcycles and light goods vehicles that are more than three years old, so it’s concerning to see how many motorists are failing to adhere to this.
“Not only does driving without an MOT put yourself and other road users in danger, but it could also invalidate your car insurance policy, as most insurance providers include having a valid MOT certificate as a condition of your car insurance policy.
“So, in most cases your insurance will be invalidated if you drive without an MOT – and that means you’ll be breaking the law twice: firstly, by driving without a valid MOT and secondly, for driving without valid insurance.”
