Driving without Insurance in Scotland

Driving without insurance in Scotland is an offence which can be found in section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988

Driving without insurance FAQ

A: The penalty for driving without insurance is severe. 6-8 points, discretionary disqualification and a fine are all possibilities.
A: You may have a defence against this charge. If you were instructed by your boss to drive a vehicle you do not own and you had no reason to believe the vehicle was not insured, you are entitled to statutory defence section 143(3). Call us immediately and we will take care of this for you. Don’t lose your licence by totting up penalty points.
A: You will receive between 6-8 points on your licence if you are convicted of driving without insurance. You only need 12 points on your licence to have it removed. Don’t become a disqualified driver, pick up the phone and give us a call. We will fight your case and do our best to ensure you can still get from A to B.
A: If the reason for driving without insurance was for a medical emergency you may have a defence. Contact us immediately and our experienced road traffic lawyers will work with you to make your case. We want to help make sure you don’t lose your licence so it is vital you contact us ASAP.

People are often caught out these days by the particular details of their insurance policies and what happens when they drive under slightly unusual circumstances; say, when an employer asks you to drive to run an errand or when you’re driving the car of a family member. Here, we clear up the confusion and explain exactly what’s what when it comes to road insurance law in Scotland.

Are you driving without insurance in Scotland?

You may well have insurance, but is it the right kind? It’s essential to check your insurance policy and not to make too many assumptions about what you are and are not covered to do. Over the last few decades, the insurance industry has become highly competitive. The result has been a surge in the variety of available policies – some are tailored for young drivers, some for families, some for experienced drivers, and the list goes on.

What this means is that it’s rarely a case of being covered or not anymore – there are always various clauses and exclusions on policies. In other words, you need to make sure you read those all-important policy details to know what you’re actually entitled to drive on the road.

Receiving points on your driving license

It’s important to get your coverage details right, not only so that you’re properly covered in the case of any incidents on the road, but because the penalty for driving without the proper insurance is six to eight points on your license or a discretionary disqualification. In Glasgow in particular, drivers often find themselves disqualified by the courts. So with such hefty penalties for getting it wrong, what defences are available for this charge of driving without insurance?

Did you think you were insured at work?

A situation that sometimes catches people out is when they are asked to drive at work. Perhaps it’s to run a quick errand or to collect another member of the team. Perhaps you worked for a taxi company and were asked to drive another vehicle. Whatever the circumstances might be, if you are asked to drive, or told to drive, by your employer, then you are entitled to assume that you are insured. If you thought you were covered at work, then you absolutely can defend the charge of driving without insurance.

Did you genuinely believe you were covered?

Perhaps you weren’t at work but genuinely believed you were covered – maybe whilst driving a family vehicle. In this case, you may defend the charge of driving without insurance based on “Special Reasons”. This usually involves giving evidence to show that you genuinely believed you were covered and to prove to the court why this is the case.

For more information about driving without insurance or any other insurance charges, contact the team today at Graham Walker Solicitors.

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