MOT Reminders

[jaynethepain]

Does anyone know why you aren't reminded when an MOT Certificate is due to expire like insurance, tax etc?

[gingejbee]

Expense? Giving reminders about insurance and road fund licence is usually a first step in getting them renewed with minimal effort. The same wouldn't apply with MOT.

[jake-the-peg]

You can

https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/mot-text-reminder-service

[New Judge]

I imagine it's because they expect motorists to keep an eye on such things themselves rather than be spoon fed. It should not be beyond the wit of man or woman to put a note in their diary, or on the calendar, or in one of the multitude of electronic gadgets available to record such matters so that a short while before the expiry of the current test certificate the appropriate action can be taken. The other matters you mention result in money being paid to the company or the Exchequer and so they are more keen to make sure you pay up than they are on your compliance with te law.

[gingejbee]

As I said - expense. They charge for the above text service.

[jno]

I get mine done at the same garage every year, and they always remind me, which makes commercial sense for them.

I'm not sure what's better from the government's point of view, having you drive safely, or fining you for not doing so.

[LCDMAN]

I guess they assume that if you drive a car then you're all grown up now and can be trusted to remember important things like this.....

[pdq1]

A relative of mine was pulled over because his MOT was out of date and the patrol car keyed for the info. He was issued with a £60 ticket. Must happen to many others and must be a good revenue earner.

[albaqwerty]

As far as I know, if you have a month to go on your MOT, you can get your car MOT'd and then have a 13 month MOT certificate.
So sending out reminders wouldn't make much sense.

[vulcan]

In Northern Ireland, where the tests are carried out at Government run test centres, we get a reminder notice six weeks before expiry date.

[Hopkirk]

Well, New Judge, you may be perfect but most of us aren't.

Here is a free reminder service.

http://www.mot-reminder.com/

[Maydup]

I'm with the judge and put a note on the new calendar when I transfer the birthdays and other notable dates over at the beginning of the year. But I understand the text service works equally well if you prefer that method. Much better than putting the cost of the MOT up to cover a reminder.

[RATTER15]

I'm with New Judge, it isn't rocket science to make note of your MOT due date. Saying that, when I used to get my cars MOT'd my garage always phoned me a couple weeks before it was due to remind me and offer a free pre-MOT check over. We do need to take a little responsibility ourselves.

[Old_Geezer]

Many garages do remind you as they hope for the business.

As for government warnings, well why should they care ? Their bosses and customers and unimportant. (And it occurs to me that if you get fined the courts get money. Probably a disincentive to tell you.)

[Old_Geezer]

With everything that is going on in the world forgetting/missing something is easy. If it is avoidable then the system ought to try to avoid it. If it cared about making life better rather than more hassle that is. But that will be the day.

[New Judge]

I don't quite get your train of thought, OG.

Is it something like "There's trouble in the Middle East, so that's why I forgot to get my car's MoT done"?

[Mobius1]

Well if the argument is "because it's expensive and, unlike insurance and road fund license, doesn't make the government money" then really it just goes to further prove that the UK motorist is a cash cow for the government.

By law we must get our vehicles MOT'd to ensure that they are road-worthy. Yet VOSA make a point of saying that just because your car passes the MOT and you have a pass certificate, it is not a guarantee of safety or road-worthiness.

So then, what is it exactly? Other than a way of getting motorists to fork over more money and to give vehicle repair companies an additional stream of revenue, wherein the government will happily take 20%. Smells like money earnt to me - and they won't send you a 10p text message for the privilege? Thanks! We're all in it together though - remember that. It makes it all better.