Driving without insurance

If you have been stopped for driving without insurance then you have committed a motoring offence. It is against the law to drive a vehicle on a public road without at least the most basic level of car insurance. The most basic insurance you need is third party insurance. This is the bare minimum. It will cover you if you are at fault for a road accident that causes damage to someone else’s car or an injury.

What will happen if you are stopped by the police whilst driving without insurance? The police have number plate recognition cameras. They can tell while driving along which cars do not have insurance. If you are stopped and asked for your documentation you have 7 days to provide the police with this.

If you think you do have valid cover, check your policy carefully. Make sure you are in fact covered. Some policies have certain restrictions like you cannot drive between certain hours or you have to be a minimum age.

Your policy may have been cancelled and that is why the police have picked it up. if you did not know this then you could have a defence. You would only be guilty of driving without insurance if the insurance company had taken reasonable steps to notify you of the cancellation.

There are different penalties of driving without insurance. The police could give you a fixed penalty of £300 and 6 penalty points if you are caught driving a vehicle you’re not insured to drive. If the case proceeds to court you may even get disqualified from driving. There is a possibility that the fine could be higher. The police also have the power to seize, and in some cases, destroy the vehicle that’s being driven uninsured.

Your car doesn’t need insurance if it is or has been:

• Declared off the road (SORN).
• Off public roads since before 1 February 1998.
• Scrapped, stolen, or exported with notice.
• Between registered keepers or dealers.
• Registered as ‘in trade’.

So, unless you have the correct SORN paper work, or you’ve decided to scrap the car, you’ll need to get car insurance the day you drive away with a newly bought or second-hand car.

If you have been stopped by the Police for driving without insurance you can contact our Team for legal advice.

Mackenzie Leahy

New Claims Assistant