Guides for UK drivers
Straight answers on MOTs, car tax, clean air zones, fines and the cost of running a car. Every guide is checked against GOV.UK and the official rules.
New research: The most reliable cars in the UK, from 16.9 million MOT tests. Check any model's MOT pass rate.
MOT
- How much is an MOT?The £54.85 maximum fee, what most garages charge, and when a retest is free.
- MOT checklist and common failuresWhat the tester checks, the faults that fail most cars, and what you can fix yourself.
- MOT advisories and defects explainedDangerous, major, minor and advisory: what each MOT result means.
- Can you drive without an MOT?The £1,000 fine, the two exceptions, and what it does to your insurance.
- Which vehicles don't need an MOT?New cars, 40-year-old classics and the other exemptions.
Tax and paperwork
- How to SORN a carDeclare a car off the road for free, get your tax refund, and the rules after.
- How to tax a carWhat you need, how to pay monthly, and why tax does not pass to a new owner.
- The V5C logbook explainedWhat is on it, what to do when you buy or sell, and replacing a lost one.
- Electric car taxThe £10 and £200 rates, the £50,000 rule and the 2028 pay-per-mile charge.
Charges and zones
- London Congestion ChargeThe £18 daily charge, hours, the electric car discount and penalties.
- Dartford Crossing chargeHow much the Dart Charge is, how to pay and how to avoid a penalty.
- Clean air zones in the UKWhich cities charge private cars, how much, and how to check yours.
- Birmingham Clean Air ZoneThe £8 daily charge, the zone boundary, payment and penalties.
- Bristol Clean Air ZoneThe £9 daily charge, which cars pay and how to pay.
Driving and the law
- Penalty points explainedHow long points last, the 12-point ban and the new-driver rule.
- UK speed limitsNational speed limits for cars, vans and towing, plus 20mph in Wales.
- Legal tyre tread depthThe 1.6mm minimum, how to check it with a 20p coin, and the fines.
- Tyre pressure guideWhere to find your car's tyre pressure and how to check it, in psi and bar.
- Driving licence checkSee your points and create a share code for car hire, free.
Buying and running a car
- Used car buying checklistThe checks to make before you hand over money for a used car.
- PCP vs HP vs leasingHow each type of car finance works and which costs least.
- Petrol vs electric running costsWhat an electric car really saves per mile, per year and over time.
- How much does it cost to run a car?Fuel, tax, MOT, insurance, servicing and depreciation, added up.
- Car insurance groups explainedHow groups 1 to 50 work and what decides a car's group.
- Write-off categories: Cat S and Cat NWhat each insurance write-off category means for buyers and owners.