People who drive a vehicle which is not roadworthy are unlikely to be covered by their car insurance, one firm has warned.
According to Direct Line Insurance, if someone's car is in a poor state of repair and is then involved in an accident, the driver also faces prosecution, a fine and points on their licence.
Mark Cornwall, spokesperson for Car Parts Direct, explained that there is more to ensuring roadworthiness than an MOT certificate.
"If a suspension coil spring snaps on a speed bump the day after an MOT the car is no longer roadworthy," he said.
Car insurance firms employ engineers who check to see if a vehicle was in good condition before an accident occurred, Mr Cornwall warned.
Yesterday, research conducted by Norwich Union revealed that 52 per cent of drivers under the age of 21 spend less than £500 on their first car.
The car insurance firm also found that 40 per cent of them do not carry out any check on the vehicle until an MOT is due.




