Could anyone please help.
For years i have been with the same insurance company and every year they have renewed my policy without fail.
Last year i changed companys .
today i was driving my son to work and was stopped by the police and was told that my insurance had run out at midnight,(less than 6 hours ) i told them that i thought my policy had been automaticly renewd at midnight any way the police told me if i renewed the policy at the road side then they would not take my car away but i would be getting 6 points and a fine . i renewed my insurance and had to tell them about the points which added another £400 on to my insurance, i have been driving for years and never once had any dealing with the police i think it was a little excessive as it was a honest mistake (the insurance company deny any liability.
Is there anything i can do to take the matter further , could i challenge this in a court would they understand or would i get more. what can i do
Thanks
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How long would you have been driving without insurance if plod hadn't pulled you?
Kevin...
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Get into the habbit of checking this site every few days, it reduces the chance of this happening. I do agree it is harsh though 6 pints as you're not branded the same those yobs who just drive without insurance on purpose.
www.askmid.com/
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A word of warning about the askmid.com database: when I changed cars recently my insurance company took over 3 weeks to update my record.
So although I was insured, it wasn't showing on askmid, therefore I was at greater risk of being stopped by the cops.
Conversely, I wonder how many cars are still showing as insured on askmid even though the policy has just run out?
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i dont blame the plod for there actions the question is should i take the matter to court to see if i can loose the points
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"....stopped by the police and was told that my insurance had run out at midnight,(less than 6 hours )...."
I'm curious - does anyone know if it's normal for the police to stop motorists for this reason?
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What's abnormal about the Police stopping a car and checking documentation ? (whether electronically or rustling papers)
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on my insurance renewal proposals it always says that under eu law the insurance runs out at midnight so and so day and you have no extra time
the wife was with the aa a few years back as i recommended them at the time,her insurance ran out and it was by good luck i realised for her,i rang them up and they said they never send out renewal reminders so they came off the xmas list i can tell you
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Yes as the MID database will simply say no insurance so the police will stop the driver to find out why.
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it was the anpr camera that picked up on the car
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Lucky for you the police stopped you and let you renew your policy at the road side. Others have had their vehicle confiscated.
The consequences of having an accident and injuring or possibly killing someone whilst uninsured don't bear thinking about. Six points would pale in comparison.
Not having a dig, but you just can't take any chances where insurance is concerned.
Phoned around a few companies myself recently to see if I could beat my renewal quote.
One firm seemed to fit the bill so after answering all their questions asked them to send written details of the policy. Checked over the proposal form and about the only details they got right were the make, model and reg. no. Hopeless incompetence and a great get out for them in the event of a claim. Think I'll stick with my existing company
Regards, cc
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I think I would go to court, I wouldn't have told the insurance co. either until definitely convicted. While you were guilty, I would hope that with it only being 6 hours they would be lenient and save the 6 points for 6 weeks or 6 months.
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Was there not a time in the non to distant past that providing you renewed within a certain time with the original insurance provider then everything was hunky dory??
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We have not quite reached the point where a policeman can convict you at the roadside, only you can do that by making admissions.
You could have denied the offence and exercised your right to have the matter aired in court.
Trouble with that, I imagine, is the polis would confiscate your car.
If you still have the option of a court appearance, I would take it.
From the facts as outlined, the punishment seems excessive.
I think the magistrates have discretion, but you need to consult a solicitor to find out if driving with no insurance carries a minimum penalty.
If it doesn't, throw yourself on the mercy of the court.
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It is a troubling story but SFAIK being insured is a matter of fact - you are either are or you aren't and there is no scope, as per speeding to be only 2mph over the limit. The point raised earlier on in the the thread re how long would OP have been uninsured if he had not been stopped in very relevant.
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Whilst I do agree that the penalty is harsh for what is a simple error on your part, the offence is black and white, you either have insurance or you don't. There has to be a line drawn somewhere, why should there be a period of grace, you know for a whole 12 months the date and the time that the cover will expire.
Just because a policy has always automatically renewed in the past with the same insurer doesn't mean that they all work like that and if you changed companies last year then you obviously didn't let it automatically renew then. I bet you have had a letter or two over the past month from your present insurer telling you that your policy is about to expire and that you need to do something about it.
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You can opt for a Court hearing - you can put forward some mitigation. Just a thought - didn't you think it odd that you hadn't had your new Certificate ? No Insurance is not a difficult case to prove, you either have it or you don't. I would argue that the system 's basic expectation on a driver is to to know whether they are insured or not.
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I always thought the minimum punishment for having no insurance was 6 points on your licence, so in that sense you have got off lightly. Still seems harsh though.
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An amazing tale.
OP says he was told by the police when stopped that his policy had run out at his policy had run out at midnight, less than 6 hours before.
By my reckoning that puts the stop at about 5.00am. How did he then immediately renew his policy at the roadside?
Or maybe I've misunderstood.
Edited by Optimist on 13/06/2009 at 11:50
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An amazing tale. >>
I thought so too and said to myself "remember Eric Cantona's comment about sardines, seagulls and trawlers".
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I think I would go to court I wouldn't have told the insurance co. either until definitely convicted. While you were guilty I would hope that with it only being 6 hours they would be lenient and save the 6 points for 6 weeks or 6 months.
LMFAO if you go to court you'll probably get 9 or 12 points for turning up for something that's totally your own fault, i have 2 insurance policies and i know exactly when they run out and i know the wifes too (which she also knows). it's inexcuseable, how many years have you had insurance surely it's always the same time just like your tax disc? I'm not confused.com....
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The trouble with this ' one rule fits all ' style of law is that it doesn't take in to consideration ' INTENT ". Some one who deliberately fails to insure a vehicle they use on the road is taking a different stance to some one ho is involved in a genuine mix up.
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not really otherwise i guess i could intend to get insurance AFTER i've had an accident or my car been nicked/caught fire. Which obviously wouldn't work would it?
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Just received my renewal notice from Tesco. Last year the renewal was automatic - this year it isnt. Years ago insurance companies used to include a 30 day cover note with the renewal.
I wonder if this is a change going through the insurance industry to increase income (through increased premiums as with the OP)
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Like any poster though Mr X , you'd be full of righteous indignation if you were struck by an uninsured driver whether they were so by design or accident. The OP apart, people can come up with the most compelling reasons/excuses when caught out by the law. "Oh I forgot" or "Oh I didn't know" won't really wash will it ? !
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' one rule fits all ' style of law is that it doesn't take in to consideration ' INTENT ". >>
Just like the Scotsman in the papers yesterday or day before who dropped a £10 note that he had thought he had tucked in to his pocket, was then told by two plods that he had dropped it, and who then proceeded to charge a £50 fine for littering.
www.anorak.co.uk/strange-but-true/213040.html
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and who then proceeded to charge a £50 fine for littering.
at the end of the article, the police spokesman says the chap threw away some papers, inc mistakenly a £10 note..and when spoken with he re-claimed the note, then threw away the paper again...so then got the ticket
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Yes but that spoils the story Westpig.
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Yes but that spoils the story Westpig. >>
;-) spoilsport - the story was for the benefit of Mr Cross!
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