Unaware no car insurance

traceyp67

I am mortified that I was stopped by the police today on my way home from work. On telling me I had no insurance as was flagged up by their system, I confidently pulled all my papers from my file to give them details of my insurers. They did checks and informed me my insurance was not renewed in January. This is a genuine oversight on my part, I assumed my insurance carried over automatically unless cancelled. I have now been issued a producer and have to pay £200 and have 6 points put on my licence. I do realise that it is my responsibility to check I am covered but I do not ever remembering having to do this before. I would never ever take the risk of driving unlawfully be it insurance,MOT or licence wise due to using the car to transport my 8 yr old daughter and obviously for other motorists on the road. I have rung an insurance company straight away and got cover but now I am unsure as to what the best way forward is. Is it worth me trying to appeal? The insurance document I had come through near to my renewal date states it is Motor Renewal Notice, has the dates when insurance will run and car details etc and I assumed this was my insurance document! Its only that I have read the small print at the bottom that it says you need to renew!!! Please help! I have never received points before and I am genuinely shocked at what has happened!!!Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Sagz_2

I'm not really sure what grounds you could appeal on, you admit you made an assumption that turned out to be incorrect.
Sorry.

Quentin

Not a lot you can do - not reading your correspondence isn't grounds for an appeal!

Getting a £200 ticket plus 6 points is probably cheaper for you than going to court.

Your greater 'punishment' will be the higher premiums this will bring for years to come (did you declare your points + conviction to your new insurer?)

Blobby8_2

traceyp67 wrote: »

I am mortified that I was stopped by the police today on my way home from work. On telling me I had no insurance as was flagged up by their system, I confidently pulled all my papers from my file to give them details of my insurers. They did checks and informed me my insurance was not renewed in January. This is a genuine oversight on my part, I assumed my insurance carried over automatically unless cancelled. I have now been issued a producer and have to pay £200 and have 6 points put on my licence. I do realise that it is my responsibility to check I am covered but I do not ever remembering having to do this before. I would never ever take the risk of driving unlawfully be it insurance,MOT or licence wise due to using the car to transport my 8 yr old daughter and obviously for other motorists on the road. I have rung an insurance company straight away and got cover but now I am unsure as to what the best way forward is. Is it worth me trying to appeal? The insurance document I had come through near to my renewal date states it is Motor Renewal Notice, has the dates when insurance will run and car details etc and I assumed this was my insurance document! Its only that I have read the small print at the bottom that it says you need to renew!!! Please help! I have never received points before and I am genuinely shocked at what has happened!!!Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I assumed my insurance carried over automatically unless cancelled Dont
Is it worth me trying to appeal? No
I have read the small print at the bottom that it says you need to renew I bet it wasnt that small.
I am genuinely shocked at what has happened Me too

Dont worry too much though, there are literally thousands running around without insurance knowingly.

traceyp67

I did inform them, yes. Am a law abiding citizen, and am normally incredibly organised with things like this!

traceyp67

Blobby8 wrote: »

I assumed my insurance carried over automatically unless cancelled Dont
Is it worth me trying to appeal? No
I have read the small print at the bottom that it says you need to renew I bet it wasnt that small.
I am genuinely shocked at what has happened Me too

Dont worry too much though, there are literally thousands running around without insurance knowingly.

Yes thanks for the above. It is something I will never ever 'assume' again! Will be paranoid for evermore, and alot poorer due to the extortionate premiums I will have to pay for a genuine oversight! Ok, a fine yes, I 'commited' the offence! But a dual punishment for the 'crime'!!!

BoGoF

Ironic thread considering the ongoing thread about the 'evils' of auto renewal

starrystarry

Hope all the anti auto-renewal brigade are reading this thread.

BoGoF

And to the OP, consider yourself lucky you didn't have an accident whilst uninsured.....you've got off lightly

bouncydog1

Well don't you check your bank statements? Your renewal notice would have stated how much you had to pay for the following year and you must have known that you don't have insurance if you haven't paid for it.

I can't personally see how you are being punished twice - you drove without insurance so have a fine and penalty points - and it is only fair on all of the other drivers who do check and make sure their insurance is valid, that you have to pay a greater premium.

Uninsured drivers are paid for by the rest of us who pay their premiums. Part of the premium paid to insurers is used to fund the MIB which pays personal injury claims caused by uninsured drivers.

I cannot see any grounds for appeal as the onus is on the driver to ensure that they are properly insured before they take to the roads.

traceyp67

BoGoF wrote: »

And to the OP, consider yourself lucky you didn't have an accident whilst uninsured.....you've got off lightly

I do consider myself 'lucky' thankyou. Thank heavens I was not involved in an accident! I actually posted this for advise and help, not castigation!!!:(