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Should you SORN your car right now?
SORN car with the country in lockdown and many people shielding at home due to the coronavirus, many of us are driving less. This means that, as well as roads being quieter, the pandemic has had a significant impact on motoring overall. Fuel prices have plummeted and drivers have been given a six-month exemption on MOT tests.
With our cars, vans and motorcycles being left unuse, is it worth declaring your car as being off the road? What does doing this mean for motorists? Here is a look at what SORN is and whether it’s worth applying for this notification at the moment.
What is SORN?
A Statutory Off-Road Notification – or SORN – is how you let the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) know that you want to register your vehicle as off the road. It’s an official declaration that you won’t drive or park on a public road and will instead store it on private land or in a garage.
The advantages and disadvantages of SORN
There is a lot to consider before you decide to SORN your car, especially right now, and the decision to go ahead will depend on what’s best for you. If you’re trying to make up your mind here’s a look at some of the pros and cons:
The pros
There are a few good points about deciding to SORN your car. First, you’ll save money. Running a car is expensive. From insuring it to paying out for keeping it roadworthy, the costs soon mount up. By declaring it SORN, you won’t have to pay for MOT, tax or insurance, potentially saving you hundreds of pounds.
This will free up some cash should you need it right now.
The cons
There are some downsides to choosing to SORN your vehicle. One of the main ones is that you can’t use the vehicle again until you tax and insure it. So, if there emergency you need to drive somewhere quickly, you not legally be allow to drive your SORN car.
You might also need to pay for insurance even if you’re not driving the vehicle, which means you’re paying for cover on something you’re not actually using. It’s up to you if you do continue to insure it while it’s SORN, but this can cover you if it was stolen from your driveway or damaged by someone, for example.
What next?
If you’re not using your car right now and you can store it in a garage or on private land, SORN could be a good choice for you. Maybe you can’t drive for a while because of the lockdown or perhaps you want to SORN for some other reason, such as you want to scrap it or you’ve not renewed your tax in time. Whatever the reason, this is ultimately up to you, but you could save money in the long run.
And it doesn’t have to be a forever decision. If you wanted to drive the car again, you’d need to let the DVLA know. You’d also need to insure it and pay tax again, either by setting up a direct debit or paying through another method such as credit card. If you to pay by credit card, you just need to remember to keep up with the monthly repayments.
Are you thinking of SORN for your vehicle? What will you decide to do?
