TL;DR; I’ve unkowingly been driving a work vechicle with no road tax for 5 days – am I at risk of a fine?
I’ve just found out that the work 4×4 I’ve been driving has run out of road tax.
I switched into this 4×4 on the 4th Jan when my work van needed to be seriviced and MOTed.
I assumed that the Road tax on the 4×4 would of been renewed since it had it’s MOT late December, previously the road tax was automatically renewed when a vechicle whet in for an MOT – however for some reason this 4×4 did not.
I’ve been driving the 4×4, unknowingly without Road tax 5 days – I am now refusing to drive it now until it has been taxed.
I’ve read that you can be fined £80 but i’m not sure if this would go to the company or myself?
13 comments
It’s will be you that’s fined.
You are the one driving without excuse duty being in place.
Yes.
I think (and could be totally wrong but) if the police run your plate if you’re on or off the road then it will show. You might be lucky and get a warning or a little fine but if you get properly reported to the DVLA or a grump police officer then they might be harder
If you’re not the registered keeper or owner of it, I would say you wouldn’t get the fine. However, you will need to pay for a taxi home.
Edit: I have been corrected. I assumed wrongly that it was only the registered keepers responsibility to tax the vehicle.
The company or whoever the registered keeper will be fined, not you. Unless you get pulled by the police at the roadside. Even then you won’t be most likely, but the car would be towed away and you’d be walking.
In a large haulage company, the drivers to not have to check the tax status of each vehicle they drive. That’s the transport managers job.
Yes but they need to catch you doing it.
Buy it now and you’ll be ok.
Edit, typo.
It’s your responsibility to check with company vehicles. Get it done now before an ANPR camera catches you.
It’s a possibility. You don’t have to be stopped by police to be reported for the offence to DVLA but it’s probably unlikely for only 5 days.
~~Car insurance is invalid if a vehicle is untaxed~~
Ignore me, this is MOT.
If you are driving an untaxed vehicle, you are breaking the law:
[https://www.gov.uk/legal-obligations-drivers-riders](https://www.gov.uk/legal-obligations-drivers-riders)
Also there might be repercussion on insurance cover (the vehicle is not automatically uninsured if untaxed, but the insurance policy may have some wording regarding cover if the vehicle is untaxed).
In general the driver is breaking the law if driving a vehicle on a public road that is uninsured, or untaxed, or does not have a valid MoT (if required). All of these can easily be checked online:
* MoT & Tax: [https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/](https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/)
* Insurance: [https://ownvehicle.askmid.com/](https://ownvehicle.askmid.com/)
Yes, whoever is the registered keeper will get a fine from DVLA. If you’ve driven through an ANPR camera you’ll definitely be getting one
Me and a friend drove his car for 14 months, no MOT and no TAX. This included all sorts of roads. Never got pulled, he never got fined
It is the drivers responsibility to make sure the vehicle is fit for the road. You should check the blah, blah, tyres, blah.
Yes, you are at risk for a fine as you are the driver. If you were stopped by an ANPR.
You said mot was OK but have you checked the insurance?
Also, if the company overloaded a vehicle, it is still the drivers responsibility.
Everything is the drivers responsibility. If you pass an ANPR, a letter will be sent to your company asking for the drivers details.