Driving Unisured. What Are The Chances Of Getting Caught?
Discussion
Last year I drove a car for about six months uninsured whilst in a state of blissful ignorance. According to the TV cop reality programs you'd have thought I'd be tugged and the car would be crushed on my 1st outing thanks to the roads swarming with ANPR equipped Mitsubishis and Subarus. This doesn't seem to be the case. Was I incredibly lucky or is this par for the course?
Tannedbaldhead said:
Last year I drove a car for about six months uninsured whilst in a state of blissful ignorance. According to the TV cop reality programs you'd have thought I'd be tugged and the car would be crushed on my 1st outing thanks to the roads swarming with ANPR equipped Mitsubishis and Subarus. This doesn't seem to be the case. Was I incredibly lucky or is this par for the course?
I think you were lucky as my M.O.T ran out at midnight, 3am pulled over lol they were fine but I'd say you got very lucky.
ambuletz said:
One time I had my car mot'd on a Saturday late afternoon. All post offices closed so couldn't tax it. Drove it home that day and Sunday morning a prat dvla van drove by and clamped it.
Why didn't you tax the car before the MOT and before the previous tax had run out?No need to call someone working for the DVLA a prat for clamping an untaxed car.
It's all dependant on luck. If you don't see an ANPR equipped police car/van then your fine. If you do then your f
ked. The chance of being caught depends on where you drive and when. If you only drive at night in the highlands you stand a low chance of getting caught. If you drive down the M40 or M25 at rush hour you will be lucky to make it to the end of the day. But then you might be unluck in the highlands and pass an ANPR van and get caught, or very lucky and drive down the M40, round the M25 and back up to Brum and find ever police car you pass is already dealing with someone else. Either way it's not worth the risk.
Of course the police programs want to make you think you will get caught instantly, they have a line to push. But with most things, your luck won't last forever.
ked. The chance of being caught depends on where you drive and when. If you only drive at night in the highlands you stand a low chance of getting caught. If you drive down the M40 or M25 at rush hour you will be lucky to make it to the end of the day. But then you might be unluck in the highlands and pass an ANPR van and get caught, or very lucky and drive down the M40, round the M25 and back up to Brum and find ever police car you pass is already dealing with someone else. Either way it's not worth the risk.Of course the police programs want to make you think you will get caught instantly, they have a line to push. But with most things, your luck won't last forever.
fandango_c said:
Why didn't you tax the car before the MOT and before the previous tax had run out?
No need to call someone working for the DVLA a prat for clamping an untaxed car.
If you use the on line taxing system it won't let you buy tax if the mot is short. No need to call someone working for the DVLA a prat for clamping an untaxed car.
OP, one of our cars was out of mot (not the one I mention above) for about 6 months, never got pulled. Moved house, she thought I did it, I thought she did it etc etc.
We drove to Germany last September with the MOT on our motorhome well and truly expired (since July). Blissfully unaware. 
A few years back my daughter drove Mums car for six months thinking she was covered as a second driver - she even got stopped by the police who were checking tax discs and they didnt twig...
its easy to do.
A few years back my daughter drove Mums car for six months thinking she was covered as a second driver - she even got stopped by the police who were checking tax discs and they didnt twig...
its easy to do.
BFG TERRANO said:
fandango_c said:
Why didn't you tax the car before the MOT and before the previous tax had run out?
No need to call someone working for the DVLA a prat for clamping an untaxed car.
If you use the on line taxing system it won't let you buy tax if the mot is short. No need to call someone working for the DVLA a prat for clamping an untaxed car.
Kev T360 said:
Even if you didn't get stopped, there's always a chance you might bump someone.
And you're still insured to third parties regardless. You'd hope though that if using the point that no MOT means dangerous, anything particularly ropey that wouldnt get through the MOT would come to the owner/driver's attention through the course of day to day travelandy-xr said:
Kev T360 said:
Even if you didn't get stopped, there's always a chance you might bump someone.
And you're still insured to third parties regardless. You'd hope though that if using the point that no MOT means dangerous, anything particularly ropey that wouldnt get through the MOT would come to the owner/driver's attention through the course of day to day travelfandango_c said:
ambuletz said:
One time I had my car mot'd on a Saturday late afternoon. All post offices closed so couldn't tax it. Drove it home that day and Sunday morning a prat dvla van drove by and clamped it.
Why didn't you tax the car before the MOT and before the previous tax had run out?No need to call someone working for the DVLA a prat for clamping an untaxed car.
I was out with my friend one night in London at a few bars (he doesn't drink). We drive there insured however at midnight, as his Direct Debit had bounced, the car became uninsured for the journey home.
All was well for about 1.5miles, then we were swarmed (five cars, overkill?!) on The Strand and the car impounded.
They went the whole nine yards and promptly crushed the thing too. Maybe they'd just had enough bullshht for one night.
All was well for about 1.5miles, then we were swarmed (five cars, overkill?!) on The Strand and the car impounded.
They went the whole nine yards and promptly crushed the thing too. Maybe they'd just had enough bullshht for one night.
Simply talking about it in terms of being caught by the police/DVLA misses a very important aspect: the reason you have insurance in the first place. If, god forbid, you cause an accident and hurt someone, you get sued and have to pay damages. Without insurance, how are you going to fund those?
Back in 2012, our company fleet which comprises about 100 HGVs/18t/7.5/vans/cars, constantly showed on AskMID as being uninsured. We called/emailed the broker who sent us copies of emails to the Insurer who promised to put things right. All vehicles spent the whole year as uninsured and we couldn't tax them online either which was inconvenient.
Given that these were all vehicles racking up 30-60,000 miles a year not one was ever pulled by the Police.
Given that these were all vehicles racking up 30-60,000 miles a year not one was ever pulled by the Police.
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