As your fleet grows, keeping on top of important deadlines and reminders becomes increasingly more difficult – unless you’re using a fleet management solution like FleetCheck.
The issue, however, is that not having MOT reminders and sending a vehicle out without an MOT can have devastating consequences.
Not only can you be subject to huge monetary fines, if a vehicle is not safe and roadworthy lives are at risk.
Using FleetCheck, you will receive MOT reminders so you can always be sure that your fleet of vehicles are safe, roadworthy, and have valid MOTs.
In addition to this, you will receive reminders for all the other important vehicle and driver-related dates. Your drivers can also use our FleetCheck Driver app to perform daily safety checks and notify the fleet manager of defects the moment they’re spotted.
The result is less time and money spent on vehicle maintenance while implementing a more robust and streamlined process to ensure your fleet is in the best possible condition, both lawfully and practically.
The Importance of MOT Reminders
MOTs stands for Ministry of Transport Test. An MOT is an annual vehicle test that checks if all the important parts of a vehicle meet the legal standards as set out by law.
During an MOT, a mechanic checks a long list of things on a vehicle, like the brakes, lights, suspension, and so on. Essentially, all of the parts of a vehicle that are required to be in good working order for the vehicle to be safe for the driver and other road users.
If you have a vehicle on the road that does not have a valid MOT certificate, you’re risking the lives of the driver and other road users. There could be something seriously wrong with the vehicle that would be identified on the MOT.
So, it’ll come as no surprise that anyone driving without a valid MOT certificate can face some harsh fines and other penalties, as can the company if it’s a commercial vehicle.
Penalties for Driving Without an MOT
Unless you are driving to a pre-booked MOT appointment or a garage to have repairs carried out, it is illegal to drive a vehicle without a valid MOT.
In addition to this, vehicles under three years old do not require an MOT, nor do vehicles more than 40 years old.
The basic penalty for being caught driving without an MOT is a fine of up to £1,000. The police will also inspect your vehicle, and if they find faults or anything deemed as ‘dangerous’, they can stack more fines and give the driver penalty points.
Driving without an MOT will also likely invalidate your insurance. This means if you’re involved in an accident, you could be on the hook for substantial repair and court costs.
It’s also worth noting that the chance of getting caught without an MOT is high. There are more than 10,000 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras in operation on the UK’s roads checking more than 50 million records a day.
If a vehicle without an MOT passes by one of these cameras, it will be flagged as not having an MOT and you can expect a fixed penalty notice in the post.
Never Miss an MOT Again With Fleetcheck
FleetCheck takes the worry out of vehicle compliance and sends you reminders when MOTs and other important dates are due across your fleet of vehicles.
You can schedule vehicle maintenance and drivers can use the FleetCheck Driver app to carry out daily vehicle checks and report defects the moment they are discovered.
Not only does this streamline your vehicle maintenance and MOT scheduling, but it also removes the need for manual paper trials, and greatly reduces the chance of user error.
Using a robust fleet management system like FleetCheck is the only way to manage all of your vehicle and driver information in one place. You can rest assured all of your vehicles have valid MOT certificates and save time and money in the process.
