If You Use An Unroadworthy Vehicle Your Insurance Isn’t Valid And You’re Risking Your Life And Liberty
If you drive an unroadworthy car that is involved in an accident you can be prosecuted, fined and have points put on your licence and your insurance company can refuse to pay out for the damage caused to your vehicle. Additionally, if you seriously injure or even worse, kill somebody whilst driving an unroadworthy vehicle, you are likely to face a very big fine, a driving ban and/or a prison sentence.
A vehicle ought to be roadworthy at the time of to an accident to make an insurance claim. Just having a valid MOT certificate is not enough to make sure you are covered on your vehicle insurance policy. Nor will it be an excuse if you are prosecuted.
The car insurance companies employ engineers who inspect vehicles to guarantee they were roadworthy immediately prior to an accident. Driving with faulty brakes, steering or suspension or other safety critical component at the time of an acident could result in your insurance company declining to pay out. In the situation of a critical accident in which somebody is killed or injured, the vehicle will also be examined by or on behalf of the police.
Many motorists believe they are driving a roadworthy vehicle because they have an MOT certif.icate. However it is necessary to remember that the MOT Certificate only shows the condition of the vehicle on the day it was tested. If a suspension spring or shock absorber snaps on a speed bump the day after an MOT the vehicle is no longer in roadworthy condition.
It is clear when items such as Wiper blades or bulbs need to be replaced. Other safety critical parts, however, are not quite so straightforward to discover. A knocking noise when turning bends is typically a driveshaft, brake judder is often due to warped discs. A leaking steering rack can leave a driver with unresponsive steering. A leaking shock absorber or broken coil spring can double the amount of time it takes to stop a car and cause a car to skid off the road while breaking heavily.
It is the driver’s duty to make sure their vehicle is in roadworthy condition before each journey, and the items covered by the legislation are numerous, including just about all the brake, suspension, steering and exhaust components, plus wheels, tyres, Windscreen wipers and lights.
You can do some to decrease your risk in this area:-
First of all, you ought to regularly check that all your lights are working, your tyres are in good condition with sufficient tread and correct pressure, your Windscreen wipers are in good working order, and your screen washer works and has Secondly, as you begin a journey, make sure your brakes and steering are working normally, and listen and feel for any strange sounds or behaviour.
Thirdly, as you replace parts on your vehicle, aim to find long-life items such as LED replacements for normal light bulbs, and Flat Wiper Blades or better still Silicone Windscreen Wiper Blades to replace conventional rubber Windscreen wipers.
After that, you should have the car frequently serviced, and ask for a statement on safety related items with your bill.