Latest figures from the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) show that one in every five crashes is caused by uninsured drivers, and their actions are pushing up the costs of insurance for all law-abiding motorists who do pay for a policy. Recently, the MIB has raised serious concerns that the economic impact of Covid-19 could lead to more drivers being tempted into cutting corners on their insurance, increasing the numbers of uninsured drivers on the road. Police have also announced a campaign to crack down on drivers without insurance and driving without insurance could have a serious implication for your job prospects in the future.
Scale of the Problem
Police figures show that in 2019, over 137,000 cars were seized in the UK for being driven on the road without insurance. That’s one every four minutes. Police have the power to stop vehicles at any time, and don’t need a specific reason to do so. From a police point of view, it’s even easier than ever to spot the cars which have not insurance, as most police cars are equipped with software which will automatically notify the officers if they drive past a car which isn’t insured, taxed, or doesn’t have a MOT certificate.
Fines and Points
Most people who drive without insurance are taking the risk of getting a fine, which starts at £300. And this is why many people take the risk of being caught; the £300 fine is a lot less than the average cost of an annual insurance policy for a new driver, or one perceived to be higher risk because of other previous convictions. The issue is of course that once you’ve got six points on your licence for driving without insurance once then your next policy is doing to be more expensive, increasing the possibility that you’ll be tempted again to cut costs.
Court and DBS Implications
If someone is repeatedly caught driving without insurance, then the police may decide to prosecute through the courts rather than dealing with the matter by way of fixed penalty notice and points. If you are summoned to court for having no insurance, and found guilty, then this will appear on your criminal record.
Having a criminal record isn’t necessarily an issue for many positions, especially when you can show that your offences were a long way in the past and that you’re a reformed character. However, if you are applying for a job which requires a DBS check, then any convictions of this type are likely to show up, especially if they were in the last couple of years. It’s then up to your employer whether to employ you or not, and they’ll take this decision on a case by case basis. However, it’s probably fair to say that a conviction for not having insurance isn’t going to go down well with employers in the financial services sector. If you have convictions for not having insurance, or other driving offences, take advice from ex-offenders charities about how to minimise the impact, and move on with your life.
