Thoughts on VHI MOT exemption

I would advise getting the MOT pass certificate. Not just to provide confidence in the structural roadworthiness of the car (admittedly this can be achieved by a competent DIY inspection or 'unofficial; MOT check), but also and for financial reasons, and that is to keep the insurers off your back, especially in the case where the who's at fault may be disputed. Nowadays, the insurers will avoid meeting claims if there exists an element of doubt. You could be in for costs associated with demonstrating, that your vehicle was up to MOT standard, which if damaged due to the incident will not be easy and costly.

As a bit of an analogy, years ago I got a speeding ticket for + 10 mph over the limit. My wife was driving and despite reminding her on multiple occasions that the speedo read + 10mph she had forgotten. At that time, the police considered an appeal, if I could demonstrate the overread against a calibrated device. Clearly something not cost effective and higher than the (£ 40 fine ??).

There's enough insurance hassles going on - just get the MOT, nothing to loose. (in my humble opinion).
 
This whole insurance thing is something that is not a valid argument in my opinion.
Lets construct a hypothetical situation. You are motoring along and an animal appears in front of your car, you carry out an emergency stop and the car veers violently to the left and hits a lamp post, the car is a wreck.
The car is insured for a substantial amount, the car has a current MOT.
The insurance company investigates and finds the OSF brake caliper is seized, they decline a payout.
Your car had a current MOT, but was not road worthy at the time. You are screwed !

I started this thread not to debate the pros and cons of having an MOT, but to listen to peoples views as to whether being in a certain niche tax class would likely compromise our right to enjoy motoring freedom in the future.
 
It would certainly make it easier to apply restrictions & I'm not sure how long the Parliamentary classic car club will be there to fight our corner in the house. We're all getting older.
 
Does anyone actually know of a case where an insurance company did a full roadworthy test on a vehicle after and accident and found something that was a cause and refused to pay out? I would imagine in all cases except of course where an injury occurred, it would be far cheaper just to pay up. Doing a proper full official vehicle check I would think must cost thousands, especially when it may need to stand up in court were there to be a disagreement??
 
cobraboy said:
I have wondered if in the relentless push for electric and emissions reduction the VHI vehicles might be hit with restricted use, ie weekends only or mileage limits.
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Those were your original thoughts.
In short, no I don't worry that VHI will be singled out for some sort of reduction of use.
I don't have the numbers, but VHI is a minuscule portion of the total car use, I just can't see it worth a government taking action on the VHI alone. I can see increased actions taken on Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars. ICE actions would capture all but a few of the VHI. This is already happening; Congestion Charge zones etc.
The rise of electric cars means, as they don't buy the taxed fuel, the government needs to recoup the tax from less anual vehicle tax. They will start annual vehicle tax on electric cars and the ICE tax will take a sharp rise; tax on petrol or road tax. Currently VHI tax is free, so would they somehow limit our use then? I still think not directly; I think the petrol will be so expensive that you'll not want to drive them to much and maybe ICE and therefore most VHI will be excluded from city and town centers. Parking can be made for electric only etc.

I have no concerns of taxing my VHI as a VHI. If something unforeseen happens to the VHI tax class, I'll be putting at least three of my stuff back to normal tax class. Can't see why that cannot be done.

Get out there and enjoy it while we can.
G.
 
Gargo said:
Those were your original thoughts.
In short, no I don't worry that VHI will be singled out for some sort of reduction of use.
I don't have the numbers, but VHI is a minuscule portion of the total car use, I just can't see it worth a government taking action on the VHI alone. I can see increased actions taken on Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars. ICE actions would capture all but a few of the VHI. This is already happening; Congestion Charge zones etc.
The rise of electric cars means, as they don't buy the taxed fuel, the government needs to recoup the tax from less anual vehicle tax. They will start annual vehicle tax on electric cars and the ICE tax will take a sharp rise; tax on petrol or road tax. Currently VHI tax is free, so would they somehow limit our use then? I still think not directly; I think the petrol will be so expensive that you'll not want to drive them to much and maybe ICE and therefore most VHI will be excluded from city and town centers. Parking can be made for electric only etc.

I have no concerns of taxing my VHI as a VHI. If something unforeseen happens to the VHI tax class, I'll be putting at least three of my stuff back to normal tax class. Can't see why that cannot be done.

Get out there and enjoy it while we can.
G.
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Thank you for that. I agree with your plan, I like to think a move back to MOT requirement would be possible, but am not aware it has been done.
I have now taxed the car, it is in the historic class retaining the requirement for an MOT, I decided not to go for the exemption, not for the reason of placing the vehicle in a tinier tax bracket, although that is a concern, but for the ease of use on the road as it is somewhat 'different' to other Rovers. A learned friend on here and I agreed it would be the sensible thing to do.
 
I'll be maintaining the MoT's on mine. The guy recommisioning my A60 is putting her through the test & l'll get Rich Moon to do the same with Bruiser 2.
 
keynsham1 said:
Does anyone actually know of a case where an insurance company did a full roadworthy test on a vehicle after and accident and found something that was a cause and refused to pay out?
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Not as such, but they can and will do basic checks like checking your tyres which is an easy one to do and would be valid if the accident was caused by losing grip. At the end of the day the law is clear that you need to ensure that your vehicle is roadworthy when you use it in the highways. An MOT simply says it was at a particular time and date, not that it is for the whole year. It's a legal requirement to have one on vehicles of a certain age, other than that it proves nothing.
 
Hobby said:
Not as such, but they can and will do basic checks like checking your tyres
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True story: While I inside my house, an old man reversed into my car which was parked in the street. A few days later after the insurance assessor walked around my injured car, he measured the tyre tread depth. I asked why?
He said if the tread was not legal, they would consider the car unroadworthy and they would be claiming from my insurance, as my car should not have been parked on the road.
How much of that was just a cocky insurance assessor and how much is true, I'll never know, but it does make you think?

Anyway, not let's worry about all this gloom, get out there and use them. For as long as the government and our health allows.
 
Took my 2200SC in for a safety check last year instead of MoT, tester said it would have failed on splits in a tyre, needed welding and one back brake not working at all and large oil leak which I had said had been there since he first tested it 20 years ago, but was a lot better than when I first obtained the car - did front crankshaft seal but rear not within my capabilities, new regs he said. The tyre dated from the 1980's, tread was very good so could even have been the original spare. All been sorted, rear brakes interesting job, apart from oil leak which ignoring as not a safety issue also not as bad as a Vauxhall Cresta I had in the late 1960's when friends gave me their old sump oil to put in the car to save me money on the frequent need to top up. The MoT test has over the years on all of our cars revealed unsuspected faults (brake hoses, bulging inner tyre walls even a broken spring etc.) that I am grateful to have discovered so will continue with the safety tests. My Insurers said that if the DVLA did not require car to be tested then that was fine by them.
 
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