Driving a car or any vehicle for that matter, on a lane, road or public place is deemed as a major offence in the UK. It's a risk against third parties, which is anyone else, but you. You need to be insured for the vehicle you drive or you could face a fixed penalty notice and in some cases, time in prison. 

Uninsured drivers have a massive effect on the UK economy and inflict major financial burden on the rest of the insured drivers in the UK. The more uninsured drivers, the higher the premiums for everyone else, simple. The current cost is around £380 million which equates to about £30 of each and every premium in the UK. The damage caused in road traffic collisions through un insured drivers are usually dealt with by the MIB (Motor Insurance Bureau).

In addition, and obviously, uninsured drivers pose a big threat to society, they're more likely to be involved in a road traffic collision, other criminal activities as well go against the highway code. As mentioned, uninsured drivers could be fined up to £5,000 with the possibility of being disaqualified from driving or 6 to 8 points taken away. 

The police also have the power to seize vehicles once it has beome apprarent you are an uninsured driver. Any vehicle seized will be released on payment of the fixed penalty and and they must also show a valid insurance certificate. Failure to do so, will mean that the car wil not be released. The car will only will be released to the registered owner. Cars can be impounded if they are not sold within a specific time frame.

Another way in which a lot of people get caught out in relation to insurance offences is because they believe that their fully comprehensive insurance covers them to drive a vehicle owned by another person with their permission. This is not actually the case, you need to be a named driver on that specific car to be able to drive it. A lot of fully comprehensive insurance policies do not actually have this type of cover as of right. This element of the cover is also sometimes dependant on the age of the policy holder.

It is of paramount importance that you understand the terms of your insurance policy and you make sure each and every time you drive either your car or someone else's that you are actually insured. Once confirmed  you're good to go! Make sure you stay insured and keep checking our for the best insurance options for new and young drivers.

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