NCT..? Legal to drive without?

mahamageehad

Tiny bit of back-story- I arrived home on Thursday after a year abroad. I have a little red 96 opel corsa. She's been off the road since I left last August.

On Thursday I got her insured for the year and on Friday I got her taxed. However the NCT is out since February 2011. I booked in for the next NCT and said I'd go anywhere in Munster that had an appointment available. The nearest one I could get was in Nenagh on Thursday night.

Here's the question- I have to go to Cork on Thursday to register back to college and I have to go to Dublin the same day for a job interview. How legal is it for me to be on the road and how much potential trouble could I get into. I have the insurance print off (but not disc yet, hopefully that'll come in the post tomorrow) and the flight tickets which prove I'm just home, and I also have the text from NCT confirming my appointment for Thursday.

I don't know if i'm really taking a risk by driving her or if an garda would just let me on after I explain the situation. I really really can't afford to miss this job interview in Dublin, especially with the economy as it is, but I can't afford any penalty points or fines either if I'm caught doing something I really shouldn't.

Any advice?? If it helps I think the car will pass the NCT the first time round, at least on the technical side. i think i will probably need a visual retest as I have no back wiper but I have an appointment to get that fixed on Friday so that's not really a worry. She's defo safe to be driving around in, she flew through the NCT the last time and it hasn't been used a whole lot since then!

Many thanks in advance for your help!

barura

If you have the letter that says that your NCT is booked, most Gardai would turn a blind eye.

What I'd do is borrow a car or even use the train. Cork-Dublin is pretty quick by train these days.

CiniO

1. You are perfectly legal to drive without insurance disc for the first 10 days after obtaining a policy - so you are ok with this.

2. You are perfectly legal to drive a car on a day you have NCT booked to the NCT centre, so pretty much if they catch you driving from your place to Dublin, it will be illegal, but on a way back, considering you have NCT that evening, and you are driving from Dublin towards NCT centre in Nenagh, you are perfectly legal.

3. Rear wiper is not checked on NCT, so lack of it is not a fail.

All above is from legal point of view.

On the other hand, I don't know what kind of guard would it have to be to fine you for driving to Dublin on a test day if you have a paper proof that you have NCT booked for that day, that you insureed and taxed car recently and that you just came back from abroad last week. (obviously I'm not saying it's impossible, that's why I outlined what is legal and what is not for you).

dev100

Be highly unlikely you would be stopped as is. As other posters stated as long as you have it taxed and insured and have a date for nct. They wont bother you...

mahamageehad

barura wrote: »

If you have the letter that says that your NCT is booked, most Gardai would turn a blind eye.

What I'd do is borrow a car or even use the train. Cork-Dublin is pretty quick by train these days.

Yeah but the train is pretty bloody expensive! and also i'd have to go into cork city to get the train and then go to dublin city and then try and find my way out to rathmines after that (I don't know dublin at all! ) I'd be nervous about getting it done in time.

CiniO wrote: »

1. You are perfectly legal to drive without insurance disc for the first 10 days after obtaining a policy - so you are ok with this.

2. You are perfectly legal to drive a car on a day you have NCT booked to the NCT centre, so pretty much if they catch you driving from your place to Dublin, it will be illegal, but on a way back, considering you have NCT that evening, and you are driving from Dublin towards NCT centre in Nenagh, you are perfectly legal.

3. Rear wiper is not checked on NCT, so lack of it is not a fail.

All above is from legal point of view.

On the other hand, I don't know what kind of guard would it have to be to fine you for driving to Dublin on a test day if you have a paper proof that you have NCT booked for that day, that you insureed and taxed car recently and that you just came back from abroad last week.

perfect thanks for that. Yeah I didn't think the wiper was checked but thought i'd mention it anyways!

dev100 wrote: »

Be highly unlikely you would be stopped as is. As other posters stated as long as you have it taxed and insured and have a date for nct. They wont bother you...

Thanks! I just had some kind of paranoid fear that my car would flag a database somewhere lol. Just nervous bout the interview and projecting it onto every other little problem i suppose!

Anan1

mahamageehad wrote: »

On Thursday I got her insured for the year and on Friday I got her taxed. However the NCT is out since February 2011. I booked in for the next NCT and said I'd go anywhere in Munster that had an appointment available. The nearest one I could get was in Nenagh on Thursday night.

Once you have a booking for any centre, you can change it online for a cancellation anywhere else. I'd keep trying online, you'll almost certainly get a cancellation for your local centre on Monday or Tuesday.

dr.fuzzenstein

If you get stopped, just use a Jedi mind trick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnjaUoR15dU

Elmidena

What I've been told over the years is if you can prove you have a test booked (text or letter or whatever) then you're safe to drive as when I went to book mine online found no dates in the next month so rang up and next available appointment was six weeks later. I pointed out I live in the country and need the car was I ok and she laughed and said it was fine, just keep proof. Now, I don't know if that's backable by law or just a rule of thumb but I drove as normal anyway. Think in all the years I've been driving I've only been stopped about six times, and only twice asked for a licence...others to look at discs. Why not ring the NCT centre and get an official view on it? Write down the person's name you're talking to and if they say it's fine and a garda says nay, then your tail should be covered as they can trace the log where they said it (if they say it's ok). That came out a bit clumsy but hope you know what I mean

CiniO

Sunshine! wrote: »

What I've been told over the years is if you can prove you have a test booked (text or letter or whatever) then you're safe to drive as when I went to book mine online found no dates in the next month so rang up and next available appointment was six weeks later. I pointed out I live in the country and need the car was I ok and she laughed and said it was fine, just keep proof. Now, I don't know if that's backable by law or just a rule of thumb but I drove as normal anyway.

It is only a rule of the thumb.

Think in all the years I've been driving I've only been stopped about six times, and only twice asked for a licence...others to look at discs. Why not ring the NCT centre and get an official view on it? Write down the person's name you're talking to and if they say it's fine and a garda says nay, then your tail should be covered as they can trace the log where they said it (if they say it's ok). That came out a bit clumsy but hope you know what I mean

NCT official view on it means nothing.
If you get stopped and end up in the court, it will be legislation what judge will be looking at - not some declaration of a person employed by NCT. (which is actually private company).
Legislation here is very clear though stating when you can drive and when you can't.

Elmidena

But at the same time, what happens to the people that aren't able to get a test within a set number of weeks through no fault of their own, are they turfed off the road and fined with a backlog? I'm not giving legal advice or asking someone to risk prison/fines or whatever, but there has to be a certain level of practicality to it. At the end of the day it's the OPs choice. Can you ring enrollment or the job interview and ask for a separate appointment the next day or something. Even taking legality out of it, that's an awful lot of driving in one day and you could easily be held up and miss one or two items on your agenda if there's bad backlog or anything. At the very least keep checking the nct website and see if there's any cancellations you can nab before that

slimjimmc

Sunshine! wrote: »

But at the same time, what happens to the people that aren't able to get a test within a set number of weeks through no fault of their own, are they turfed off the road and fined with a backlog? I'm not giving legal advice or asking someone to risk prison/fines or whatever, but there has to be a certain level of practicality to it. At the end of the day it's the OPs choice. Can you ring enrollment or the job interview and ask for a separate appointment the next day or something. Even taking legality out of it, that's an awful lot of driving in one day and you could easily be held up and miss one or two items on your agenda if there's bad backlog or anything. At the very least keep checking the nct website and see if there's any cancellations you can nab before that

The Gardaí exercise their powers of discretion and don't usually prosecute anyone where the delay is genuinely out of their control. However, backlogs are rare nowadays (my latest test was done within a week of application) , and considering you have a period of 90 days prior to the due date in which to have the test done, you rarely have little control over the situation.



OP, technically you'll be committing an offence driving without NCT (unless on the way to/from the test centre) but unless you drive like a clown or ram someone you're highly unlikely to get any grief never mind a ticket for it, especially since the test is later that evening.

On a side note, if you're not familiar enough with Dublin to find you way to Rathmines by public transport (incl taxi) then perhaps driving there is not the best idea either

CiniO

slimjimmc wrote: »

OP, technically you'll be committing an offence driving without NCT (unless on the way to/from the test centre) but unless you drive like a clown or ram someone you're highly unlikely to get any grief never mind a ticket for it, especially since the test is later that evening.

Funny think is, if he had a NCT in the morning, and failed, he would be perfectly legal to drive all around the country for the rest of the day.

Below a list of cases that are exempt from having NCT.

(5) This Regulation does not apply to a vehicle -


(a) first registered 30 or more years prior to its test due date,


(b) which is used solely on an off-shore island,


(c) on the day on which a test certificate in respect of the vehicle had been refused, or


(d) which is owned by the Garda Siochana or the Defence Forces.

Link: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2003/en/si/0405.html

padma

Call in to your local N.C.T centre and ask them in person have they any cancellations or if they can fit you in. Do it tomorrow and you may get to do your N.C.T there and then. Works for me.

slimjimmc

CiniO wrote: »

Funny think is, if he had a NCT in the morning, and failed, he would be perfectly legal to drive all around the country for the rest of the day.

Below a list of cases that are exempt from having NCT.


Link: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2003/en/si/0405.html

Odd indeed but I suspect there's a valid reason such as giving you a chance to sort out a visual failure and getting it passed later that day, pity they didn't word it in that way.

Anan1

Sunshine! wrote: »

But at the same time, what happens to the people that aren't able to get a test within a set number of weeks through no fault of their own, are they turfed off the road and fined with a backlog?

THose people don't exist any more - once you have a booking it's easy enough to get a cancellation and have the car tested within a day or two.

CiniO

Anan1 wrote: »

THose people don't exist any more - once you have a booking it's easy enough to get a cancellation and have the car tested within a day or two.

No more than a year ago, I put lots of effort to get my NCT within 1 month from time of booking. Otherwise she couldn't offer me anything within 6 months.

Anyway I had to drive for a month illegally without NCT.

Maybe something changed since then.

CiniO

slimjimmc wrote: »

Odd indeed but I suspect there's a valid reason such as giving you a chance to sort out a visual failure and getting it passed later that day, pity they didn't word it in that way.

I'd say it's to give someone a change to drive a car after failing from NCT centre to the garage to fix the problem. Or even to drive around few garages to shop for best offer.

IMHO very reasonable thing.

dgt

Anan1 wrote: »

THose people don't exist any more - once you have a booking it's easy enough to get a cancellation and have the car tested within a day or two.

A car here has its nct out on the 26th. The earliest we could get a date at a centre not too far out of our range was the end of october. We booked it in mid august

slimjimmc

dgt wrote: »

A car here has its nct out on the 26th. The earliest we could get a date at a centre not too far out of our range was the end of october. We booked it in mid august

Out of curiosity, was there any particular reason why you didn't look for a booking back in June?

There are some genuine reasons for late bookings but I think part of of the problem (not that there is a real problem) is that most people don't realise they can get a booking up to 90 days before the due date, and many that do know this don't bother.

I booked in mid August, had a choice of 4 days in the following week and at various times in the nearest centre, centres can be quieter than others so it might be worth looking around.

dgt

slimjimmc wrote: »

Out of curiosity, was there any particular reason why you didn't look for a booking back in June?

There are some genuine reasons for late bookings but I think part of of the problem (not that there is a real problem) is that most people don't realise they can get a booking up to 90 days before the due date, and many that do know this don't bother.

I booked in mid August, had a choice of 4 days in the following week and at various times in the nearest centre, centres can be quieter than others so it might be worth looking around.

I did suggest that but no one listened to me :rolleyes:

mahamageehad

Anan1 wrote: »

Once you have a booking for any centre, you can change it online for a cancellation anywhere else. I'd keep trying online, you'll almost certainly get a cancellation for your local centre on Monday or Tuesday.

Ah thanks, duly noted!

slimjimmc wrote: »

The Gardaí exercise their powers of discretion and don't usually prosecute anyone where the delay is genuinely out of their control. However, backlogs are rare nowadays (my latest test was done within a week of application) , and considering you have a period of 90 days prior to the due date in which to have the test done, you rarely have little control over the situation.

OP, technically you'll be committing an offence driving without NCT (unless on the way to/from the test centre) but unless you drive like a clown or ram someone you're highly unlikely to get any grief never mind a ticket for it, especially since the test is later that evening.

On a side note, if you're not familiar enough with Dublin to find you way to Rathmines by public transport (incl taxi) then perhaps driving there is not the best idea either

Well I mean I'm from Tipperary and I live in Cork, I don't see why driving wouldn't be the best idea. It's quicker, cheaper (than the train), and it seems that I just need to get onto the m50 and then it's handy after that! Plus I'll have my sat nav with me, not sure how much use that is though! I mean I literally have no idea how quick or not it is to get from Heuston to Rathmines. And as this interview is so important I don't want to leave anything to chance!

Also pfft taxi??! The only reason i'm doing a job interview is coz i'm broke!!!! Bad enough have to pay the petrol to go to dublin from cork for an interview for a job that I mightn't even get, and have to buy 'business clothes' for the interview as well!!!

TestTransmission

dgt wrote: »

A car here has its nct out on the 26th. The earliest we could get a date at a centre not too far out of our range was the end of october. We booked it in mid august

Yeah,but you can check online for cancellations.I'm sure if you checked every day you'd have it done within a week.

Anan1

CiniO wrote: »

No more than a year ago, I put lots of effort to get my NCT within 1 month from time of booking. Otherwise she couldn't offer me anything within 6 months.

Anyway I had to drive for a month illegally without NCT.

Maybe something changed since then.

dgt wrote: »

A car here has its nct out on the 26th. The earliest we could get a date at a centre not too far out of our range was the end of october. We booked it in mid august

Once you have a booking for any date you can change it for a cancellation online - often for the following day. Unfortunately NCTS never advertised this, so a lot of people never knew.

oldyouth

Failed the NCT last Wednesday for;

Faded letters on rear reg plate
Dip headlight needing adjustment
Worn link on front suspension

Getting all the work done tomorrow but not too bothered about not being NCT'd over the past week. Must book the re-test now