Driving without insurance in the UK can be a serious offence, and being caught speeding whilst driving without insurance can lead to detrimental consequences.
It is imperative that your vehicle is insured if you use it in roads or in public places. The only situation in which your vehicle does not need to be insured is if it is kept off-road, and declared as such (SORN), then it does not need to have car insurance.
Penalties for uninsured drivers
Driving without car insurance can lead to an automatic driving ban. Depending on the situation, it can lead to a fixed fine of £300 and 6 penalty points. If the case goes to Court this can lead to an unlimited fine, 6 – 8 penalty points or a disqualification from driving. If the vehicle is uninsured, the police also have the rights in some cases to destroy the vehicle.
If a driver is commits this offence within the first 2 years of driving, they will almost certainly have their driving licence revoked as a ‘new driver’.
It also does not matter who is driving the vehicle. If the car is registered as belonging to you, you will be penalised for the offence, even if someone is caught driving in your car and it is uninsured.
You will also be required to pay for your insurance on top of the fines that you will receive. Evidently there can be heavy financial losses from speeding an uninsured car, so why do drivers still take the gamble?
Research
Research shows that young drivers are the most likely to be caught speeding without insurance. This can be partly correlated to the fact that their insurance can be between £1,000 and £2,000 per year, meaning some young drivers deem it to be “worth the risk”. Research by motor safety charity shows that 1 in 25 motorists on the roads are driving uninsured vehicles.
Speeding without driving insurance
Speeding in itself is seen as a serious driving offence. When you are caught speeding without car insurance, the consequences can be even more severe. The definition of dangerous driving, (in which speeding may be a factor), is “a driver who drives far below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver.”
The severity of the punishment for such an offence will be dependent on how serious the offence is. There are many factors to be taken into account but the presence of speed in addition to other factors will be taken into consideration. The lack of insurance will likely be regarded as an aggravating factor by any sentencing court.
Conclusion
It is vitally important that you get your vehicle insured in order to avoid serious penalties such as high penalty points and a potential driving ban. In the case of being caught speeding whilst driving uninsured, the case is likely to be taken to court and could have very serious consequences.
This article is not intended to be replace legal advice.
Gepp Solicitors in Essex have decades of experience in dealing with driving offence cases. For more information please call 01245 358894 to speak with one of our experts.
This article has since been updated, read our 2023 version here
