Driving uninsured is a risk that no motorist should take. Unfortunately, it’s more common than you might think. Every week, police in the UK seize 2,500 uninsured vehicles, and a total of 144,815 people were prosecuted for insurance offences in 2014 alone.
Driving without car insurance is illegal, and if you’re caught, the penalties are harsh. And if you’re involved in a collision, the consequences are unthinkable.
What Are The Penalties For Driving Uninsured?
If you drive without insurance, you’re liable for everything. So if you have an accident on the road, you’ll be responsible for covering all costs. This could include damage to vehicles, to property, and to people. It’s not going to come cheap, so you could end up in court.
Uninsured drivers are a major risk to other motorists. As a result, the police are particularly stringent when enforcing these laws. They have ways of checking whether or not your car’s insured. If they find you’re not covered, you could also get an unlimited fine and up to 6 points on your license. On top of that, your vehicle may be seized.
This would be a major inconvenience for all drivers. But for young drivers and new drivers, it can feel much worse.
Drive Without Car Insurance and You Might Lose Everything
When you get your first car, suddenly it feels like the world’s at your feet. For the first time in your life you have the freedom to go wherever you want whenever you want. To your friends you become a legend – the source of lifts, and the designated driver to good times in far off places.
But if you drive uninsured, you can lose all of that in seconds. If your car gets seized, you’ll have to go back to the bad old days of relying on others to get around. You might lose your parents’ trust. And if your car’s seized while you’re out with your friends, would you ever be able to live it down?
And that’s just your friends and your parents. What if you need your car for your work? If you lose your car, you’ll lose your livelihood.
This video by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau outlines how everything can be #goneinseconds if you drive without car insurance:
How to Check If You Have Car Insurance
Searching the Motor Insurance Database will allow you to check whether your vehicle has a valid insurance policy. In the event of a collision, this handy tool can also let you check the insurance details of everyone else involved.
If you’re a new driver, you should have a clear idea about whether or not you’re insured. If you’re driving your parents’ car, they will probably have arranged for you to be put on their insurance. Ask them if you’re not sure.
If you’re lucky enough to have your own car, your driving instructor will probably have hammered home the importance of car insurance throughout your lessons. The question of insurance will also have come up when doing the paperwork to get your first car. In any case, you’ll be aware of the need for insurance, and hopefully you’ll have it sorted.
If not, most insurers have specialist new driver car insurance offers that’ll give you all the cover you need at a price you can afford.
In short, there’s absolutely no excuse for anyone to drive uninsured. Nobody wants to have their car seized, and no matter how much you pay each month for your car insurance, it will pale in comparison to the amount you’ll have to pay if you have a crash while driving uninsured.
