CAR, motorbike and light van owners will be given a six-month MOT exemption to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The exemption will start from March 30 and any MOT due after that will be exempt for six months and you do not need to do anything.

The guidance from the UK Government does state that you must keep your car safe to drive.

There are different temporary rules for MOT tests for lorries, buses and trailers.

You can check your MOT history to see when you have been issued an exemption. It will not be updated straight away, so keep checking back if your new due date MOT is not yet showing.

If your vehicle tax is due, you can tax your vehicle as soon as your MOT due date has been updated.

The government is allowing MOT centres and garages to remain open. So you can still get an MOT if you need your vehicle:

• to shop for necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible

• for any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person

• to travel to and from work, but only where this absolutely cannot be done from home

You must make sure your vehicle is safe to drive (‘roadworthy’). It can be unsafe even if your MOT expiry date has been extended.

You can be fined up to £2,500, be banned from driving and get 3 penalty points for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

You should still take your vehicle to be repaired at the nearest open garage.