Keeping a car safe in the UK is partly a legal duty, partly an annual test and mostly a habit. The law says a vehicle must be roadworthy every time it is driven, not just on the day it passes its MOT; the test checks a defined list of items once a year; and the habit is the ten-minute walk-round that catches most of the faults before they become failures, fines or claims. This section covers all three, and the driving rules that decide whether a bad day on the road costs you points, money or your licence.
- A car needs its first MOT on the third anniversary of registration and every twelve months after that. Driving without a valid MOT can bring a fine of up to £1,000, and driving a car with a dangerous defect can bring a fine of up to £2,500, three penalty points and a ban, MOT or not.
- The legal minimum tyre tread for a car is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread and around the full circumference. Each illegal tyre can carry a fine of up to £2,500 and three points.
- The drink-drive limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 50 milligrams in Scotland. Using a hand-held phone at the wheel carries six points and a £200 fixed penalty.
- A new driver who reaches six or more points within two years of passing has their licence revoked and must pass both tests again.
The MOT: what it tests and what it does not
The MOT is a roadworthiness inspection carried out by a DVSA-approved tester against a fixed manual. It checks lights, steering and suspension, brakes, tyres and wheels, seat belts, the body and structure for dangerous corrosion, the exhaust and emissions, the windscreen and wipers, the horn, the number plates and, since 2018, the dashboard warning lights for the engine, airbag and electronic stability systems. Defects are graded minor, major or dangerous; only majors and dangerous defects fail the car. It does not check the engine, clutch or gearbox, the condition of the timing belt, the air conditioning or the state of the service items, which is why an MOT pass is not a clean bill of health. The MOT guide covers the checks, the fee cap, retests, what happens if you miss the date and how to read the failure sheet.
The checks between MOTs
Most of what fails an MOT was visible weeks earlier. Tyres wear below 1.6 mm gradually and a 20p coin in the groove will show you when the outer band is exposed. Bulbs fail one at a time and a walk-round with the lights on takes a minute. Brake pads squeal before they grind. Washer fluid, oil and coolant have marks on their reservoirs for a reason. And under the bonnet, the rubber belt that drives the alternator, the water pump and often the power steering is the single cheap component whose failure can leave you without electrical charge, cooling and steering assistance at the same time: the drive belt inspection guide shows what to look for, how to tell an ordinary auxiliary belt from a timing belt, and what the two cost to replace.
Seasonal risks in a British year
The UK does not require winter tyres, but the cold-weather rules that do exist are enforced: driving with a windscreen that is not fully cleared of ice or with snow on the roof can be dealt with as driving without a clear view of the road, and lights must be used when visibility drops below about 100 metres. In summer, tyre pressures rise with the heat and an under-inflated tyre on a hot motorway is the classic blow-out. In autumn, the first rain after a dry spell lifts oil off the road surface and stopping distances double. The Highway Code's stated stopping distance at 70 mph is 96 metres in the dry, which is about 24 car lengths, and at least twice that on a wet road.
The driving rules that cost points
The offences that most often put points on a British licence are speeding, mobile phone use, careless driving and failing to give driver details after a camera offence. Points stay on the licence for four years from the offence for most endorsements, eleven years for drink and drug driving, and they matter twice: twelve points in three years brings a totting-up ban, and every insurer asks about points at each renewal for at least five years. Our guide to penalty points and insurance explains the codes, how long each stays live for insurers as opposed to the DVLA, and what an honest declaration looks like. The Highway Code changes of January 2022, which introduced a hierarchy of road users and new rules on priority at junctions for pedestrians and cyclists, are also worth re-reading if you passed your test before them; they are enforced as the standard of a competent driver.