The PSNI has clarified the rules around driving without an MOT or road tax certificate at a time when appointments are proving difficult to come by.
Some MOT centres are facing a backlog of up to five months, due to the knock-on effect of the Covid pandemic and equipment repairs.
The Driver and Vehicle Agency has previously acknowledged that there remains "significant demand" for the service.
Read more: MOT Northern Ireland: Minister urged to provide urgent clarity to motorists facing lengthy delays
A further problem has been caused for people trying to tax their cars, where if they cannot access an MOT, they cannot tax their vehicle and risk a fine.
PSNI Ards and North Down moved to clear up some of the confusion with a Facebook post, after saying they had been contacted several times over the issue.
The first scenario they covered was if you cannot book an MOT in time before your current certificate expires, due to the backlogs.
The post said police have agreed not to penalise drivers whose MOT has expired so long as their vehicle is:
- in a roadworthy and safe condition and doesn’t have a statutory off-road notification (SORN) declaration
- your vehicle is properly insured
- you can prove (by showing an MOT appointment notification/ reminder, either in electronic or paper form) that a test appointment has been booked for your vehicle.
In terms of insurance, they have advised that the ABI (Association of British Insurers) has said if you can’t get a test appointment until after the current certificate expires, you should check your policy documents or speak to your insurer.
The police have also moved to clear up the questions surrounding what to do if you cannot tax your car due to the lack of a valid MOT certificate.
The PSNI has said that if you get to within five days of the expiry date of your tax and you have been unable to secure an MOT appointment or your tax has expired, contact the DVA customer services team at dva.customerservices@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk with the following information:
- Vehicle registration number
- MOT booking reference number
- Preferred test centre
The MOT staff will then do their best to secure an emergency slot to allow the driver to keep their vehicle taxed.
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