AQW 23142/17-22


Mr Andrew Muir
Alliance Party
North Down


Tabled Date: 24/09/2021
Answered On Date: 28/09/2021
Priority Written: Yes


Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure whether any formal assurance has been received from Association of British Insurers concerning the validity of motorists' insurance if driving without a valid MOT but with an appointment booked.


Answer:
From 26 July 2021, the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) reinstated its normal vehicle test times, which has increased capacity across the network of test centres. In August 2021, the DVA conducted 60,680 full vehicle tests, which is 98% of the five year average for that month.
The DVA is currently experiencing significant demand for vehicle testing services and in some cases customers may not be able to get their vehicles tested before their current MOT expires. In such cases, customers must book the earliest available test appointment for their vehicle, which may mean travelling to another test centre instead of their preferred location.
DVA officials have consulted with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to make them aware of the current position regarding MOT appointments. If motorists are unable to book an MOT appointment before their MOT expiry date but still need to use their vehicle the PSNI has agreed not to penalise the driver of a vehicle whose MOT has expired so long as the vehicle is in a roadworthy and safe condition; the vehicle is properly insured; and the driver can provide proof (by showing an MOT appointment notification, either in electronic or paper form) that a test appointment has been booked for the vehicle. 
The ABI view is that not having a valid MOT certificate would not necessarily invalidate insurance but customers, who find themselves in that situation due to delays in getting their vehicle tested, should check their policy documents or speak to their insurer. However, the ABI confirmed that it is a condition of insurance that owners maintain their vehicles in a roadworthy condition.
DVA customers must therefore book a vehicle test appointment as soon as possible, even if it is after their current MOT expiry date. All other offences relating to vehicle roadworthiness and insurance will be dealt with by the PSNI and DVA enforcement officers in the usual manner.
If a customer has been advised by their insurer that they will not be covered if their vehicle does not have a valid MOT certificate, they should:
book the earliest available appointment;
keep checking the booking system for an appointment before your MOT expires
If they get to within five days of their MOT expiry date, contact dva.customerservices@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk and DVA will do their best to get an urgent appointment.
Like all public facing services, the Covid-19 restrictions mean that the DVA has had to adapt its services to ensure that they can be provided safely and they would ask customers for their patience at this difficult time.