Driving Without Insurance

If you own or use a vehicle, it is compulsory that the vehicle is insured and that you have the correct valid insurance in place. The insurance is there to protect against third party risks. This includes any vehicle which is used on the roads or any other public place. This also applies to vehicles which are parked and not driven.

This is a strict liability offence; not knowing that you are driving without insurance will not usually provide you with a defence.

What you should know

Penalties;
If the allegation is accepted and you plead guilty via post you may be offered a fixed penalty, 6 penalty points and approximately £200 fine.

If the case progresses to court you face between 6 and 8 penalty points and an unlimited fine.

Defences;
If, during the course of your employment you are found to be driving without insurance and you were driving the vehicle believing it to be insured, you will have a defence to the charge.

Alternatively, a ‘special reasons’ argument can be presented to the court on your behalf. This is not a defence. It must be a mitigating circumstance which the court will be asked to take into account, e.g, if your insurance company cancelled your insurance without your knowledge.