Expenses. Outgoings. Whatever you want to call them, these payments, usually every month or once a year, are something that everyone has to keep track off. When it comes to cars, there can be a few involved in owning one. In fact, often the most costly of all (especially for new, young drivers) is insurance. It’s not uncommon as a young driver for car insurance to cost more over the course of a year than the vehicle itself, but with the price of everything increasing, even seasoned veterans could see themselves priced out of comprehensive cover.
So if your insurance premiums have skyrocketed because of the ‘cost of living crisis’ or, in particular, due to an accident that’s also damaged your car, selling it with Scrap Car Comparison will free you from those direct debits in a flash. You can scrap it without insurance, too!
Is it Illegal to Drive Without Car Insurance?
Simply put, yes, driving without insurance is illegal. The bare minimum that you must have is ‘3rd party’, which will only cover other drivers and their cars, leaving you with a wreck to fix up after a crash. The next step up is ‘3rd party, fire & theft’ which does exactly what it says on the tin: it still covers other cars, whilst also covering your own vehicle for damage or losses incurred through fire damage or if it’s stolen. Finally, ‘comprehensive’ covers everything from the previous tiers, plus any other damage that your car may suffer, even if you’re deemed to be at fault.
So to sum it up, if you’re going to own a car – even if it’s simply parked up on the roadside – it must have at least some level of insurance coverage, so that it’s fair on others if you damage their vehicle.
What Is the Penalty For Driving Without Insurance?
If you’re caught driving without insurance, you could face a fixed penalty of £300, plus the arguably more serious six penalty points. The penalties for driving without insurance, then, are severe, meaning it’s really not worth the risk. But, it doesn’t stop there. If the case was to be taken to court, things could get much worse. The fine could be increased, with no limit to how high it could rise, while you could also be disqualified from driving entirely.
What happens if I’m pulled over while driving without insurance?
The police are within their rights to seize and even destroy the offending vehicle if it’s deemed to be the correct course of action in any given situation. You will not be able to drive the vehicle away, either, as to do so would mean breaking the law once again. You’ll be given, at a minimum, a £300 fine and six penalty points on your licence, although, as before, this could end up being much more if the case goes to court.
Can You Tax a Car Without Insurance?
It is not possible for you to tax a car that is uninsured. To drive without either is a crime, but in order to tax a car it must first have a valid insurance policy in place. The Motor Insurance Database is linked to the DVLA’s tax system, and you’ll be able to see the insurance status of your car from this site when you go to pay your Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) – or road tax, as it’s commonly known.
Can You Test Drive a Car Without Insurance?
Technically-speaking, you must be insured to test drive any vehicle. However, if the car you’re taking for a spin is up for sale at a main dealer, they should already have the appropriate type of insurance in place to cover prospective buyers.
Buying privately is a different kettle of fish entirely. If you want to test drive someone else’s car before buying it off them, you’ll either need ‘driving-other-cars’ (DOC) cover on your own, existing insurance policy, or alternatively, you’ll have to take out a short term insurance policy. This may sound ridiculous, but this coverage can actually be taken out on the fly and cover you on any vehicle, even if it’s just for one hour.
Can You Drive Someone Else’s Car Without Insurance?
The only way it would be possible to drive another person’s car would be to get yourself valid insurance, be it through short term, hourly or daily policies, or DOC cover. With DOC cover, you can get behind the wheel of someone else’s car without fear of getting into trouble if caught. Should you get stopped, or worse, crash someone else’s vehicle without an appropriate car insurance policy in place, it won’t just be you facing the penalties – it’ll be the car’s owner, too. So if your car is broken down and, despite you still paying for insurance on it, you want to drive someone else’s car until it’s fixed you need to ensure you’re covered.
Can You Drive to Your MOT Without Insurance?
No. There may be a few loopholes involving MOT tests, but don’t get mixed up – you absolutely must be insured to drive any vehicle to its MOT test, without exception.
Tax, on the other hand, is slightly different. You can drive an untaxed car to an MOT test centre as long as you can demonstrate that it is booked in and you are on the way. This is because you can’t actually tax the vehicle without a passed MOT certificate.
Insurance, as we mentioned, is legally required whatever the scenario. There’s no getting around it.
Do I need to insure my car if I park it on the road?
Yes. Any vehicle that is on the road must have valid insurance and tax, even if it’s just parked and not moving anywhere. You’ll also need to have insurance if your car is parked on your driveway or in a garage, unless you have registered it as SORN. However, if you don’t have any room off the road to park the car, then it cannot be a SORN vehicle.
Do I need to insure a car that’s SORN?
If your car has been stored away from the public highway and is SORN, then you do not need to have insurance. SORN – standing for Statutory Off Road Notification – is a way to inform the DVLA that your car will not be driven for a long period of time. Once a car has been registered as SORN it cannot be on a road, even parked, or you could face a fine.
How do I check if my car is insured?
The easiest way to check if your car has valid insurance is to put your registration details into the Motor Insurance Database online system. With just your number plate and a checking of a Data Protection declaration, you can find out if your car is covered or not. This is the same database used by the police and linked to Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems dotted around the country. The MIB is also currently warning car owners that scammers are contacting individuals fraudulently to try and obtain personal details through “compensation” claims for crashes that didn’t happen.
What happens if I’m involved in a collision without insurance?
Being involved in an accident is the fastest way to be found out for having no insurance, and also for emptying your bank account. Not only will you be breaking the law, but you’ll be liable for any costs involved with the accident itself, and could face criminal charges, especially if there were any injuries or worse as a result of the collision.
As such, you might find yourself stuck in a loop, with your car costing too much to insure so you can’t get it MOT tested and in turn, can’t tax it. What don’t you need insurance for? Selling your car with Scrap Car Comparison, that’s what! We’ll find you the best deals for it and have it picked up and paid for in a matter of days. Find out how much cash you could make today!
