Driving without Insurance, Tax or MOT

Driving without insurance is against the law, but that isn't enough to stop at least 1 million people in the UK from failing to insure their motor vehicle. The consumer website moneysupermarket.com found that as many as 15% of UK motorists have driven without insurance, with 9% of these having driven someone else's vehicle without being properly insured to do so. The law is clear on this: if you are in possession of a motor vehicle, you are legally obliged to get it insured and taxed, as well as putting it in for a yearly MOT test.

Driving Without Insurance

Driving without Insurance is illegal. You don't actually have to be driving the vehicle for it to be a criminal offence - if you own a vehicle that is not insured, you can be prosecuted even if you have never driven it. You can potentially be fined up to £5000 if you are caught, although the typical fine is often a lot less than this. You will also be given a number of penalty points on your driver's licence. You may, in some cases, have your license revoked. As well as driving an uninsured car, It is also illegal to let someone else borrow your car if they are not insured on it.

There are two main types of insurance: Comprehensive, and Third Party, Fire and Theft. Third Party insurance is mandatory, but it does not offer you protection if you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver. For this, you are better off with the Comprehensive cover, although this is more expensive.

Driving Without Road Tax

All drivers are obliged to display a road tax disc in the front window of their vehicle to show that they have paid road tax on the vehicle. If your vehicle does not display this disc, you can be prosecuted. You can buy the road tax discs at many Post Office branches or online. It is becoming increasingly difficult to escape paying road tax, as the Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Agency (DVLA) now runs monthly computer checks. If you are found to have failed to purchase or renew a road tax disc, you will be fined £80. Failure to pay this can result in a County Court Judgement, or having your vehicle clamped.

Driving Without an MOT

If your vehicle is at least three years old, it needs to pass an MOT test before it can be considered roadworthy. Driving a vehicle that has not successfully passed an MOT test is an offence and can land you with a £1000 fine, but will not usually result in penalty points. Driving without a valid MOT invalidates the insurance and if you were involved in an accident you would not be covered. MOT tests are carried out by most garages across the UK.

If you want to keep a clean driving licence, driving a vehicle that is not insured or taxed, or has not been in for an MOT, is never a good idea. The fines may be relatively small, but the damage to your reputation as a driver is much more difficult to reverse.