It is an offence to use a motor vehicle on a road with no insurance. You will face prosecution. There are a range of penalties, a substantial fine and points and even disqualification.
The police have powers to seize and, in appropriate cases destroy, vehicles that are being driven uninsured.
No, before you drive any motor vehicle on a road you must have insurance. You should not drive the motor vehicle until you have insurance. You could even be prosecuted if you get insurance just before you drive the vehicle home but do not received the certificate from the insurance company for a few days (although unlikely).
If you have a motor traders policy, then this will cover you for driving any vehicles you have purchased in connection with your business (see your policy for exact details).
You should report all accidents (even if you were not at fault), convictions and penalty points to your insurance company. The insurance company bases your quote and policy on information provided to them and if that changes it could invalidate your insurance policy.
It is always best in these circumstances to talk with your friend's insurance company as these are the people he/she has entered into a contract with.
Most companies specify what you can or cannot do and if it says on the insurance that it allows your friend to drive someone else's car then he/she would be covered. However he/she must read the full wording of the policy document and of the actual certificate to ensure that this is exactly what it does say.
There are a number of pitfalls with this situation (for example, the level of cover may only be third party) and the importance of disclosing the potential risk to your insurers as part of your contractual liability cannot be stressed enough.
You need to inform your insurance company that you will be driving abroad. There may be an extra premium involved and they will possibly issue you with a Green card. A Green card is a document that proves that the minimum legal requirement for insurance cover for countries which accept the document has been met. Even if your insurance company don't issue you with a Green card, it might be worth requesting one as it is a document that is well recognised by police all over Europe.
See the link in related information for more advice about Green cards from the Motor Insurers' Bureau.
Insurance certificates issued in Community Member States (EU) provide third party cover throughout all other member states.
This information has been reproduced with the kind permission of the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB).
If the insurer's name is known check the MIB website for any Green Card Agents who will handle the claim on behalf of the foreign insurer.
If the insurer's name is not known, contact the MIB's Green card department on 01908 830001.
If the accident involves a foreign lorry, take a note of the registration plate from the front of the lorry (there may be a different number on the trailer) as well as the policy and Green card numbers.
For security reasons, we can't reproduce a Green card here, however, the numbered boxes relate as follows:
For more information see the website in Related Information.
Yes. Any driver who drives a vehicle, whether it belongs to them or not, has a responsibility to ensure that they are insured to drive the vehicle and that the vehicle is fully road legal, taxed and MOT'd.
If you are stopped by the police it is you as the driver who will face prosecution. Under certain circumstances the keeper may also be prosecuted.
Please note from 1st March 2017 the penalty for using a mobile phone whilst driving will increase to 6 penalty points and a £200 fine. For newly qualified drivers this could result in your licence being revoked for a single offence.
Under the New Drivers Act, drivers will have their driving licence revoked automatically if they accumulate six penalty points within two years of passing their driving test. They would be required to re-sit and pass both the theory and the practical test again in order to regain their full licence.
There isn't another 2 year period if you pass a test for another category of vehicle e.g. to drive a heavy goods vehicle.
Unless you have notified the DVLA that your vehicle is being kept off the road by means of a Statutory off Road Notice (SORN), you are not exempt having to insure your car.
In line with Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE), it is now a legal requirement for registered vehicle keepers to insure their vehicles(s) at all times even it is not being used and / or is parked on private land.
Please see the website for further information:
Drive other cars/vehicles clauses in insurance policies nowadays often have restrictions. Therefore, we would always suggest you check with your insurer to find out if you are covered – this is what the police will probably do if you are stopped.
Note that all insurers are different and whilst the above information represents the general position, you should always check with your insurer to make sure.
Some parents try to reduce the cost of their child's car insurance by insuring their son/daughter's car in their name and adding the child as a named driver but the child is the main user of the vehicle. This practice is called 'fronting' and is unlawful.
Note that all insurers are different and whilst the above information represents the general position, you should always check with your insurer to make sure.
You should not do this and depending on the circumstances you may be committing an offence.
Note that all insurers are different and whilst the above information represents the general position, you should always check with your insurer to make sure.
You can check your driving licence entitlement at https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence
You can check your vehicle tax and MoT at https://www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/
You can check your insurance at http://ownvehicle.askmid.com/
It's a mistake to assume that your car insurance automatically covers you to drive to and from work. In order to use your car in this way your policy must cover you for commuting purposes. This is often referred to as social, domestic, pleasure and commuting cover.
Additionally, commuting cover will only allow you to drive to/from your usual place of work. If you use your vehicle to go to a meeting, conference or seminar etc. whilst at work you will require business cover.
If you are unsure whether your car insurance includes this, you will need to check your insurance certificate and policy documents. Then, if you are still uncertain, contact your insurer and clarify the matter with them.
If you are stopped by the police and they have reasonable grounds to believe your insurance isn't valid, they can seize your car and you can be prosecuted. The penalty for using a vehicle without insurance is a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points or if the matter goes to court, an unlimited fine and 6 to 8 penalty points.
