Uninsured car parked on road

faddy

Is keeping an uninsured (and un-SORNed) car parked on a public road a separate and lesser offence than driving without insurance?

Quentin

Different penalties - uninsured cars can be towed/destroyed but no points (max fine £1000) for keeper - uninsured drivers get minimum 6 points and £300 fixed penalty or maybe banned/unlimited fine if case goes to court

faddy

Quentin wrote: »

Different penalties - uninsured cars can be towed/destroyed but no points (max fine £1000) for keeper - uninsured drivers get minimum 6 points and £300 fixed penalty or maybe banned/unlimited fine if case goes to court

Would the former offence impact future premiums?

Aretnap

The more serious offence which gets you points is actually "using" the car, not driving it, and "using" has been interpreted sufficiently broadly to include leaving a car parked on the road - see Elliot v Grey (1960) and other cases. So while it is not particularly common, it is possible to get 6 points for keeping an uninsured car parked on the road.

Continuous insurance regulations also require any car which has not been SORNed to be insured at all times - this applies whether the car is actually kept on the road or not and is a lesser offence with a smaller fine and no points. This would not generally affect future insurance premiums.