It is illegal to drive a motor vehicle without a valid insurance certificate covering you to use that vehicle at that time.

The offence of driving without insurance is taken very seriously by the Magistrates Court due to the possible implications if you were to crash.

In order to be found guilty of driving without insurance, the Prosecutor only has to prove that you were driving the vehicle on a public road at the time in question and it is down to the defendant (you) to prove that you had insurance and you were allowed to be driving it. This is an unusually way of proceeding in court, but it is this way because it would be extremely time consuming and nearly impossible for the Prosecutor to prove that you were not insured because they would have to go to every insurance provider in the country and check that you aren’t insured with each of them. It is therefore your responsibility to prove that you did have insurance to be driving the vehicle at the time in question.

One of the most common ways in which people get caught out with the no insurance law is that they may not actually drive the car, but the law states that you only have to have use of the vehicle in order to be liable for punishment under the no insurance law. Having use of the vehicle can simply mean having the vehicle parked on a public road outside your house and if it is not insured, then you can be prosecuted.

Another way in which a lot of people get caught out in relation to insurance offences is because they believe that their fully comprehensive insurance covers them to drive a vehicle owned by another person with their permission. A lot of fully comprehensive insurance policies do not actually have this type of cover as of right. This element of the cover is also sometimes dependant on the age of the policy holder.

It is of the utmost importance that you full understand and have read everything in you insurance policy. You must ensure that whenever you go to drive your own vehicle, or someone else’s that you are indeed covered and are legally allowed to be driving that vehicle at that time.

For more information about free legal advice please click driving with no insurance.

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