Is it Illegal to Drive Without Car Insurance?
In general it's against the law to drive a vehicle on public roads in the UK without acar insurancepolicy.
The rules are quite specific as well and say that the insurance policy must cover the vehicle you're driving at the time and must apply to you, i.
e.
you must be the policyholder or be a named driver on a policy which covers the car.
There are virtually no exceptions and the consequences of being caught by the police include ending up in court, facing a fine and getting penalty points on your license.
How long you've been driving for also makes no difference, you'll still be required to have acar insurancepolicy whether you've been driving for a few days or for 60 years.
Those who are learner drivers also need cover, i.
e.
they will need to have a policy or be a named driver on a policy for the car in which they are learning to drive.
No matter what you use a vehicle for, you'll need a policy as well.
Even if you only intend to drive it a mile or two to the local shops and back once a week, you'll still need insurance in place.
To some new drivers this can seem strange and frustrating as younger motorists generally pay more than the more experienced drivers for cover.
But there are no excuses and saying you were ignorant of the rules if caught by the police isn't likely to wash.
However, there are various levels ofcar insuranceand getting a policy in place for a vehicle need not be as expensive as some people fear.
The minimum legal level of car cover to drive a vehicle is 'third party only', which can be cheaper as it only pays out towards the cost of damage and injury to another driver following an accident.
i.
e.
if it was your fault, damage to your car will not be covered.
This is normally adopted by people who have a car of a very low value, perhaps only a few hundred pounds.
You can also agree things like a voluntary excess on your car policy, which is an initial amount you agree to pay towards repairs before your insurance company starts to pay out.
Typically, the higher voluntary excess you agree, the lower your policy might be.
Remember that there are also other administrative requirements before you can drive the car.
For instance, the vehicle must have a valid MOT certificate to prove it's roadworthy, and the car must also have a valid, in-date tax disc displayed in the windscreen.
Failure to comply with any of these rules also means penalties, so ensure you not only get a car policy but also check your documents are in order before taking to the wheel.
And remember the penalties of ignoring the law could include:
The rules are quite specific as well and say that the insurance policy must cover the vehicle you're driving at the time and must apply to you, i.
e.
you must be the policyholder or be a named driver on a policy which covers the car.
There are virtually no exceptions and the consequences of being caught by the police include ending up in court, facing a fine and getting penalty points on your license.
How long you've been driving for also makes no difference, you'll still be required to have acar insurancepolicy whether you've been driving for a few days or for 60 years.
Those who are learner drivers also need cover, i.
e.
they will need to have a policy or be a named driver on a policy for the car in which they are learning to drive.
No matter what you use a vehicle for, you'll need a policy as well.
Even if you only intend to drive it a mile or two to the local shops and back once a week, you'll still need insurance in place.
To some new drivers this can seem strange and frustrating as younger motorists generally pay more than the more experienced drivers for cover.
But there are no excuses and saying you were ignorant of the rules if caught by the police isn't likely to wash.
However, there are various levels ofcar insuranceand getting a policy in place for a vehicle need not be as expensive as some people fear.
The minimum legal level of car cover to drive a vehicle is 'third party only', which can be cheaper as it only pays out towards the cost of damage and injury to another driver following an accident.
i.
e.
if it was your fault, damage to your car will not be covered.
This is normally adopted by people who have a car of a very low value, perhaps only a few hundred pounds.
You can also agree things like a voluntary excess on your car policy, which is an initial amount you agree to pay towards repairs before your insurance company starts to pay out.
Typically, the higher voluntary excess you agree, the lower your policy might be.
Remember that there are also other administrative requirements before you can drive the car.
For instance, the vehicle must have a valid MOT certificate to prove it's roadworthy, and the car must also have a valid, in-date tax disc displayed in the windscreen.
Failure to comply with any of these rules also means penalties, so ensure you not only get a car policy but also check your documents are in order before taking to the wheel.
And remember the penalties of ignoring the law could include:
- a court appearance
- followed by the strong possibility you'll end up with a fine and points on your licence
- over time persistent offending can lead to a ban from driving
- people who continue to break the rules can even face a prison sentence.
Source...