Driving Uninsured

Section 143 of the Road Traffic Act requires the driver of a vehicle to have an insurance policy in place in respect of third party risks. Driving without insurance carries an endorsement range of 6-8 penalty points as well as discretionary disqualification. Often these cases are proceeding by way of a fixed penalty notice with the offer of 6 penalty points and a £60 fine.  This is the minimum penalty under the law and this should be borne in mind – if you do not accept the fixed penalty notice there is the possibility the court will impose an increased penalty or disqualification. There is a statutory defence for persons using vehicles in the course of their employment and it is possible for the court to decide that ‘special reasons’ exist for not endorsing the licence. It is not a defence, however, to claim you ‘thought’ you were insured.  The circumstances must be sufficiently mitigating to be persuasive.