General Advice Regarding Traffic Offence
 

Right guys!
I took my policy out for the S2000 in November.
It is comprehensive cover and I wanted to make sure my policy included being able to drive any other car third party.
Reason being was for a moment like today. Visiting my car at the bodyshop to see when it would be ready and just generally checking the work etc.
I was driving my mum's Subaru and I was pulled over by an officer.

" Your car has no MOT Sir"

"Great" I thought."

Surely my parents remembered something like this as we are all very anal with cars and just generally abiding my rules etc but they obviously hadn't.

As the officer was running my documents through making sure identity checks cleared etc I find out that my policy with Bell only covers 3rd party when the driver is 25 and over. I am only 22 but was assured when I took the policy out it was 21 when I took the policy out in Novermber.

I've checked through all my documents I was sent out and it has nothing about a minimum age so was seeking general advice on what to do.

2 options

1. Pay the £200 fine for having no insurance and accept 6 points on my license. Mum has insisted on paying the £60 being her car and just completely forgetting to re-issue her MOT.

2. Seek more legal advice on where I stand regarding clear information given in my insurance and documents.


To be honest I think I am just going to pay it, take the points like a man and live and learn however part of me is annoyed that nothing is stated in my insurance regarding age. I know this is my fault for not checking every miniscule detail but it doesn't actually say anything about age in the documents. I just paid the damn thing and skimmed over it when I took the policy out.

6 points and £200!

Ouch!

This oversight is penalised as hard as those who deliberately don't insure their car and worse, don't pay their fines. The difference is, you get my sympathy which to you is worthless of course.

I suggest that you do as you suggest; pay the bill (sorry no pun intended) and move on.



:cry:

I agree with the penalisation. It should be hard on those that don't insure vehicles. Had I of known I wouldn't have even contemplated on driving it.
In a way it is good that it has before anything major happened regarding my parents driving it without knowing the MOT had run out and in terms of me not being insured on it etc.
O well! Im sure my premium of £2200 will go up next year with 6 point!

The problem I foresee is, that having been prosecuted for driving without insurance, your insurance renewal will be horrendous.

I'd check and double check all the small print in your policy document for any bits on "driving other cars".

Also speak to your insurance company and ask them for the recording of the conversation you had when you took the policy out.

If they haven't mentioned age restrictions in the policy, but have said you can drive other vehicles, then it's their error.

Much easier to prove if you have the recording of them saying you can.

Good luck.

are you not covered on mums insurance?

No not a named driver on their car. I wish mummy and daddy paid ;)

Im going to have to try and get a recording of when I took the policy out and go from there. I'll ring up tomorrow and if I cant do anything I'll just decrease my bank account a little and expect a big increase next year on insurance!

:iagree:

..and one more big speeding offence or a couple of small ones will see you serving a ban.

Most insurance companies record telephone conversations these days, might be worth following it up with the insurance company. Then get them to confirm you were covered at the time of the offence.

The worst thing that can happen is that my insurance on the S becomes too much on renewal that I will just get a small beater.
I don't think I'll ever sell the S2k however expensive motoring gets.
No car for the value of my S2000 can give me as much fun and smiles!

this isnt good. 6 points for no insurance (i beleive) stays on your licence longer than a speeding fine.
i think it's similar duration to drink driving.
also, insurance companies are very likely to pile on the premium due to being caught with no insurance.

1st thing i'd do; check with your insurance company with a 'what if' situation.

it seems the only way your going to get off is finding either the 3rd party at 21 in writing, or with a recording of the convosation.
while not related to this thread, i will be recording insurance related phonecalls as i've been bitten in the past (an undeclared mod - insurance still valid though).

it's a sick truth your going to have to live with i think, unless you can find something definitive to prove 100% your in the right.
due to someone elses inability to give you the right info, your premiums and choice of cars will likely be very limited down to premium costs.