Driving without insurance is illegal, though even the threat of driving bans, fines and penalty points don’t seem to be enough to deter the thousands caught and convicted every year. Equally, you can invalidate your insurance by not disclosing certain information such as occupation or by selecting the incorrect class of use.
Here’s a reminder of what might be in store for those driving without insurance or invalid insurance.
What is the minimum cover?
The minimum level of insurance you are required to have by law if you drive a vehicle is third party liability cover. This means you’re only covered for the damage you might cause to another vehicle or property and any liability for causing injury.
In fact, finding third party only cover can be tricky as most insurers now extend their policies beyond the basic level of cover and you can choose to add fire and theft insurance or opt for fully comprehensive cover.
Fines and points
The maximum fine if you’re caught driving without insurance is currently £5,000 and the minimum fine has just gone up to £300. You’ll receive what’s called fixed penalty notice including points on your licence, and your insurance premiums are likely to go up as you’ll find some insurers will decline to quote you cover with this particular conviction.
As well as a fine, you can score up to 8 points on your licence, thought the most common penalty is 6 points. It’s important to remember that once a driver reaches 12 points, you’re automatically banned from driving. Occasionally, depending on the severity of the conviction it is possible that a court will disqualify you from driving for a set period immediately.
It is possible to challenge the penalty points given to you in court, however, if you were to lose this battle, you could end up with more points being applied than if you had accepted the original number.
Car impounded and destroyed
The police now have the power to impound any uninsured vehicle. The vehicle will be seized and locked in an approved compound. They will only give it back once you’ve paid any issued fine, the release fee and can prove you’ve bought the correct insurance cover for your car.
Vehicles can also be destroyed after a certain amount of time has elapsed if you do not reclaim it.
When is insurance not required?
If your vehicle is in use or parked on a public road it legally must be insured, however, you are able to have a vehicle parked up on private land and not in use and not insured if you have declared it as SORN with the Driving standards agency. By completing a ‘Statutory Off Road Notification’ you are notifying the DVLA that that vehicle is out of use and you want to stop taxing and insuring it.
All Sport Insurance specialise in a variety of insurance products including car insurance for convicted drivers if you need a quotation please either call 01803 659112 or contact us here.