LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Millions of drivers are at risk of being fined because they don’t know when their MOT is due, amid confusion caused by the MOT extension scheme introduced during the pandemic.
Some nine million* UK drivers (28% of all drivers) don’t know when they need to get their vehicle tested to ensure it meets required legal standards, according to a survey of 1,292 drivers by Total UK.
The majority of drivers also don’t know what the penalties are for failing to get their car’s MOT done on time. Some 53% of drivers believe the fine for not getting a MOT when it is due is three points on their driving licence, whereas they may receive a fixed penalty fee of £1,000 and risk the vehicle being impounded.
Drivers over the age of 55 are the most impacted, with one-third (33%) admitting they don’t know when their current certificate expires. Despite the lack of awareness of their MOT due dates among drivers, one in four say they worry about their MOT in case it shows there is something wrong with their car.
Many drivers are also failing to insure their vehicle properly, with four in ten (39%) believing their car doesn’t need to be insured if it is sitting in the drive or garage and 17% believing they only need insurance if they are driving it.
John Ryder, general manager of Total Lubricants’ UK Blending Plant, said: “The past year has certainly been one of great uncertainty and it seems this has extended to people not knowing when their MOT is due. Since the beginning of the first lockdown, people have been driving a lot less due to increased home working and less commuting so their cars and maintenance requirements, including getting their MOT done, have not been front of mind.
“The confusion stems from the MOT extension scheme which was introduced in March last year as lockdown restrictions limited people’s movements to all but essential travel. However, it is important that drivers do not miss their MOT to ensure their car insurance remains valid, that vehicles are roadworthy and meet the necessary standards.”
Drivers in Bristol were least likely to know when their MOT is due with four out of ten admitting they do not know when it is up for renewal. Drivers in Newcastle are most on top of their annual vehicle health check, with nine out of ten drivers knowing when their next MOT is due.
Almost one in five drivers (17%) admit to having driven their car knowing there was something wrong with it.
The MOT extension scheme advised drivers with a test due after March 30, 2020 that they would get an extra six months automatically added to their existing MOT certificate, meaning their tests would not be due until September 30, 2020 at the earliest.
The MOT extension scheme has now ended and despite the latest lockdown, Total UK is advising drivers to check when their MOT is due and get an appointment booked in order to ensure their current test certificate does not expire. Once a MOT test certificate has expired, if the vehicle is more than three years old, the only journey a driver is permitted to make is to the garage for a pre-booked MOT appointment.
To view the research and for further information, visit: https://www.total.co.uk/news/9-million-drivers-dont-know-when-MOT-due
*Nine million drivers is based on latest estimates which show that 75% of all adults aged 17 and over in England (an estimated 32.7 million people) held a full car driving licence in 2019. (Source: National Travel Survey: England 2019 and Table NTS0201)
The survey of 1,292 UK drivers aged 17+ who either own or lease a car was conducted by Censuswide. The data is statistically representative of the UK.
About Total UK Limited
Total UK Limited is the UK Marketing & Services operation for the Total Group. The division manufactures and sells lubricants, bitumen products and petroleum-based solvents into the transport, building and manufacturing sectors.
Total UK is also one of the country’s leading suppliers of aviation fuels, supplying London’s Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports, as well as many smaller airfields around the country. In November 2019, Total entered into an agreement with Harvest Energy, a member of the Prax Group, to allow Harvest Energy to develop its network of service stations with the support and expertise of Total and to secure its fuel supply. The first TOTAL service station opened in December 2019 in Thirsk (North Yorkshire, England). Further deployment will continue in 2020. The TOTAL outlets offer the public and business customers the company’s full line-up of fuels and lubricants, as well as a broad range of products and services, including EV charge points.
About Total Lubrifiants
Total Lubrifiants is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of engine oils and lubricants. It has 42 production plants worldwide and more than 5,800 employees in 150 countries. Total Lubrifiants offers innovative, efficient and environmentally responsible products and services developed by more than 130 researchers at its R&D center. Total Lubrifiants is a partner of choice for the automotive, industrial and marine markets.
About the Marketing & Services division of Total
Total’s Marketing & Services business segment offers its professional and private customers a wide range of broad energy products and services—petroleum products, biofuels, charging and related services for electric vehicles, gas for road and maritime transportation—to support them in their mobility and help them reduce their carbon footprint. Every day, over 8 million customers visit our 16,000 service-stations all over the world. As the world’s number four in lubricants, we design and sell high-performance products for the automotive, industrial and maritime sectors. And to provide the best response to the needs of our B2B customers, we deploy our sales forces, our international logistics network and our diverse offering. We operate in 107 countries, where our 31,000 employees stand close to all of our customers.
About Total
Total is a broad energy company that produces and markets fuels, natural gas and electricity. Our 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is more affordable, more reliable, cleaner and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, our ambition is to become the responsible energy major.
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