imagine your MOT expires and you're in Leicester's lockdown

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Indulge me a sec - imagine your MOT expires and you're in Leicester's lockdown. As we all know, previously back in early April, if your MOT was up, we were given a roll over period of iirc 6 months.

I did have one bike needing an MOT in that time - my tester was working throughout, so I went and got it done. May seem unnecessary - and even a bit of a Cummins moment. But I do use it as transport, and because of this, I was not entirely convinced that in the event of an accident, my insurance would honour my claim if the bike didn't have a valid MOT.

This is where things got sketchy, imo. It's okay govt saying yeah no, stay in - we'll roll that shit over for a while. But then not telling insurers to march in the same direction. I spoke to two different test centres at the time, and although they would say this wouldn't they, they said get an MOT pass on it. I called them on it - because they're mates. I said yeah yeah, isn't that just your business head speaking. They said no actually - both had contacted various insurers and asked them about validity of policies. Apparently insurers were loathe to say either way. Not a good place to be in if you have to tackle them in the eventuality of a claim - they can be slippery at the best of times.

So - fts. I just wondered what the situation in Leicester is. How locked down is it? Is it even still IN lockdown? And what are the knock on effects for people needing MOTs? Any bcf people living in Leics? Be interesting to hear about this because the pessimist in me thinks that come autumn/winter 2020, there might be a bit more of this local lockdown shenanigans kicking off.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Nobby the Bastard]

The insurance company would be still be obliged to pay out because 1) they cannot cancel third party insurance retrospectively and 2) your mot hadn't expired, it had been extended by 6 months.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

We hope so, at the very least. But when two mates of mine, who're testers, spoke to insurance companies back in early April, the latter were being vague about it all. Apparently.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[kgm]

I have direct experience of contacting a few insurance companies where a definitive answer to this was required for legal purposes. All honoured their cover at least I respect of third party where an MOT was invalid.

I expect for them to try and wangle put of their obligation to cover third party risks they would have to show that the lack of MOT was s contributory factor to a crash, i.e. there was a mechanical failure of some kind.

In any case, I'd the government says your MOT is valid for another 6 months (and it is the case that its validity has been extended, it's not just a grace period before you have to renew) then an insurance company would have a very hard time trying to argue that your MOT was invalid.

If you look at the MOT check website for any vehicle you will see that if it had a valid MOT then the expiry date shown is 6 months later than it was previously so I don't know how an insurer would know, unless your MOT was already up prior to the extension.

[arry]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Well great then. I'm glad to hear it. What will happen with local lockdowns though? Will MOTs be suspended on a region by region basis? Anyone got any thoughts on that?
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[arry]

[Riejufixing]

[Robby]

I have a feeling that the reality will be as vague and confusing at the guidance around local lockdowns.

Say you have a crash, and your MOT has expired, and the only reason you couldn't renew it was a local lockdown.

In that situation, some companies will try to wangle out of paying, or pay less. Some people will believe them, and end up in a worse situation than necessary.
Others - likely including the good folk of BCF - would push back on the insurers (like we do every time they try it on - from offering below market value to pressuring us to accept split liability).
A recently expired MOT, in those circumstances, should be accepted as a problem in itself. It may be that a contributing factor was something that would be an MOT fail - like knackered brakes - but in that case you are riding an unsafe bike.

So lawyers will end up making some money out of this. There may also be more crashes/passenger mile covered because lots of vehicles that would have failed an MOT 6 months are still on the road.

I wouldn't stop riding over it.

[Riejufixing]

[iooi]

[Nobby the Bastard]

Not having an mot only attracts a fine, not even points, so having an insurance company refuse to pay out because of it is one to take to the ombudsman.

This is on top of the fact that you wouldn't have no mot for any car due to have one before end of july because they have been extended for 6 months and the fact that they have to pay out for a 3rd party regardless of the crime committed (except perhaps terrorism).

Having an unroadworthy vehicle is an entirely different issue.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[Tomoose]

MOT's were extended during the period. The vehicles with the Covid-19 extension have a revised expiry date. You are still required to have a valid MOT, it's just some people will have MOT's that lasted 18 months instead of 12. It had to be done this way to ensure there is no insurance implication (amongst other things), although it's obviously still an offence to drive a vehicle that isn't in a roadworthy condition.

[Easy-X]

[arry]

Lockdown eased anyway - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-53416023

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Freddyfruitba...]

Not sure I understand the problem. If you're in a locally locked down area, then you must only use your vehicle for essential purposes. I'm sure driving it to an MOT station would be pretty essential.... the fundamental difference between this situation and what we've just come out of is that the entire country was locked down, and in theory at least, no MOT stations were available anywhere. Now, all you'd need to do is drive to a non-locked-down area to get your MOT test done.
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KC100->CB100N->CB250RS--------->DL650AL2->R1200RS->R1250RS

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[Nobby the Bastard]

If I remember correctly, the insurance companies declared lack of mot be cause it ran out during lockdown wasnt an issue happened before the government announced the 6 month extension.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[arry]

[Riejufixing]

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Riejufixing]

[Nobby the Bastard]

The insurance companies said that they wouldn't invalidate insurance because of no cbt.

This is different from riding a bike after your cbt expired being against the law.

This isnt difficult to understand.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050