The penalty for driving without insurance is something you should avoid by all means. If you’re caught driving a vehicle you’re not insured to drive, the police could give you a fixed penalty of £300, and 6 penalty points will be added to your license.
If you’re unlucky and your case goes to court, you could receive an unlimited fine, usually capped at £5,000, or be disqualified from driving. The police have the power to seize your vehicle or even destroy it.
This blog will discuss what to expect if you’re charged for driving without insurance and what the law experts say you can do if you’re caught driving a car without insurance.
RELATED: How to Check if My Vehicle is Insured
What is the Maximum Fine for Driving Uninsured?
If you are caught violating the driving laws, you may receive a £300 fine and an additional 6 – 8 points on your licence. This is called an IN10 driving conviction.
These points will remain valid for four years. If, within three years, you add more points (12 penalty points or more), you can be prohibited from driving. If you’re a new driver, collecting six or more penalty points within two years of passing your test will lead to the withdrawal of your licence.
What Happens When You Are Caught Driving Without Insurance?
Without having at least third-party car insurance, it’s against the law to drive on public roads in the UK. Here are the penalties for getting caught driving a car without insurance in England, Scotland, or Wales:
An unlimited fine
The immediate fine for driving without insurance would be the £300 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) is . You have 28 days to pay the FPN, after which the case goes to court. The court can impose an unlimited fine to you.
Addition of six and eight points to your licence
If caught driving without car insurance, you can have six to eight points added to your licence. These points will impact:
- Driving record: Depending on how long you’ve had your licence, you may be disqualified from driving after either six (for new drivers) or twelve points (for experienced drivers).
- Insurance costs: Insurers see drivers with penalty points as higher risk, leading to higher costs for insurance coverage
Disqualification from driving
Something you don’t want to experience is to get banned from driving on UK roads. If the case goes to court, you could be stripped of your driving eligibility.
Not only that, if you committed a driving offence within 56 days after you got disqualified, you will need to apply for a new licence.
Seizing your car
The police have the legal right to impound uninsured vehicles. If you fail to buy or provide proof of required insurance within seven working days of receiving the notice, the seized car could be destroyed.
The following penalties are attracted if an uninsured car that has not been declared as off the road is either used or parked on the road:
- £100 fine
- Get a court case and pay a £1,000 maximum fine
- Get the car wheel-clamped, seized or destroyed
How Likely Is It To Get Caught Driving Without Insurance?
The police use special tools to scan car license plates, allowing them to detect if your vehicle is road-legal.
This offence may also come from another offences, like being pulled over for reckless driving or a collision.
If this is the case, you might be taken to the station or given a court summons date.
What Do You Do If You Receive a Penalty for Driving without Insurance?
If you’re charged with driving without insurance, the best approach is to pay your fine. It’s very hard to win a court case because the police have several ways of assembling evidence.
If the case goes to court, a failure to the case is a subscription to a higher penalty. So it’s best to avoid court and just pay your fines upfront.
However, if you think the police have penalised you unfairly, you can speak to a professional solicitor who can help you attempt to dispute a legal claim.
What is the Significance of Car Insurance?
First of all, insurance coverage is mandatory by law in the UK, and every driver must have driving insurance.
But it’s mandated for a reason. A car insurance policy covers all of the costs incurred by car accidents. It’s more than just being injured; it can also cover the cost of fixing the damages on the two colliding cars, which can be very expensive.
Paying for your insurance may be expensive initially, but it will save you huge expenses down the road.
If you’re buying a used vehicle in the UK, for your peace of mind, you should run an insurance write-off check. This will help you to know whether the vehicle has been declared a total loss by an insurance company. Additionally, it helps you to avoid common car scams.
How Do You Get Car Insurance in the UK?
If you plan to drive in the UK, you must have vehicle insurance, which is mandatory by law for UK drivers.
To apply for car insurance in the UK, you will be required to provide the following:
- The car registration number
- Your address
- Driving license information
- Driver’s age, profile and driving history
- Type of usage (rent, taxi, personal, fleet etc)
Once your application is completed, you will receive the following:
- Your insurance policy
- EU accident statement form
- Insurance green card
The costs of car insurance in the UK depend on the following:
- Type of Insurance
- The car value
- The driver’s age, history and profile
- The vehicle usage type
READ ALSO: Understanding the True Value of Your Vehicle in the UK
Summary
England, Scotland, and Wales take driving without insurance very seriously, so at least you need to get third-party insurance. Besides, if a car is insured and you’re not insured to drive the car, you can still get punished. You should avoid getting caught, as this will negatively affect the cost of your future insurance premiums.
