New research published this week has revealed that thousands of drivers have been issued with penalty charges following a tightening up of the guidelines.

A Freedom of Information request made by Halfords Autocentres found that a total of 68,027 motorists have been hit with a fine in England and Wales since the MOT test changed in 2018, with police cracking down on emissions and safety.

The fines for an unroadworthy vehicle are also higher, which means that those who do get caught are likely to face a bigger bill, not just to get their car fixed. If you are caught driving your car with a ‘dangerous’ MOT classification you could be hit with a maximum penalty of £2,500. Being caught in a car without a valid MOT certificate will cost you £100, but even that can rise to £1,000 if the case goes to court.

London is the hotspot for MOT punishment, with the Met Police issuing a total of 15,772 fines, with West Yorkshire (6,019), Merseyside (5,461), Lancashire (4,520) and Essex (4,299) completing the top five. It’s though that the Government has netted upwards of £6m in revenues since the MOT shake-up a year and a half ago.

Aaron Edwards, category manager at Halfords Autocentres Category said: "More than 100 motorists per day are caught by police driving without a valid MOT and our research suggests this is just a fraction of the people who are on the road with an expired test.

"However, for many this isn’t intentional, with many simply unaware their car’s MOT was due.

"Around one-in-five motorists have driven a car without a valid MOT because had forgotten or didn’t know it was due.

"The MOT is not only a legal requirement, it is a test to prove your vehicle is safe and roadworthy, so we urge motorists to check when theirs is due."

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