Over four million motorists at risk of expired MoTs

More than four million motorists are at risk of driving illegally with no MoT this Autumn, the UK’s largest MoT test provider has warned.

The Government’s automatic MoT extension scheme - which was introduced during the coronavirus lockdown and came to an end on 1 August - has caused a dramatic rise in the number of vehicles that will need to go for an MoT test in the coming three months. A total of 11.28 million vehicles will see their MoT certificates expire in September, October and November 2020.

According to research by garage chain Kwik Fit, 38 per cent of drivers book their car’s MoT test three days or fewer before its existing certificate expires. But with demand for MoT tests set to double in the next three months, it’s predicted that many garages will be booked up well in advance throughout the next three months.

If drivers book MoT tests at the same time they normally do, therefore, around 4.3 million car owners will be at risk of driving with an expired MoT, which could land them with a £1,000 fine.

The analysis also shows Reading, Dumfries, Paisley, Swindon and Sheffield are the areas where it will be hardest to get an MoT test booked in the next three months. In Reading, there will be nearly three times as many vehicles needing testing per MoT centre as there will in Blackburn, which has the lowest number of tests needed per centre.

Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, said: “The MoT is a vital safety check, but it is something that many drivers leave to the last minute to sort out and in previous years that has left some car owners driving without an MoT.

“The impact of COVID-19 and the MOT extension will make this problem much worse as finding available MoT appointments at short notice will be a lot trickier over the coming months.”

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