No Penalty Points for Driving Without Insurance
We recently represented a driver who was caught driving without insurance because his policy had not been renewed.
He had difficulties reading and writing and relied on his mother to help him with emails and letters.
Special Reasons Prove Vital
When the letter arrived from the insurers informing him of the increase in premiums for the following year, his mother did not read it all. Unfortunately, she did not see the wording which asked the policyholder to take action if they wanted to renew it.
Although the driver could not dispute the fact that he had been driving without insurance, we could explain the circumstances to the court. This involved a hearing during which family members gave evidence.
After hearing all of the evidence, the court agreed that special reasons existed not to endorse his licence. The court accepted that he had relied on a person in a position of authority and that reliance was reasonable. It would be unfair to put points on his licence when he had no way of knowing that the policy had lapsed.
Note: Driving without insurance usually carries 6-8 penalty points or a discretionary disqualification.
Need help with your case?
I’m Lucy Whitaker, a specialist driving offence solicitor based in Nottingham. My team and I really know our stuff when it comes to motoring offences.
I have gained recognition for my technical ability and understanding of complex areas of driving offence law.
Since 2008, I have worked exclusively as a driving offence lawyer. I set up Pragma Law in 2014 after 8 years working for another law firm. I now work only for private defendants charged with driving offences, but I have also prosecuted cases in the criminal courts in the past. I believe that having experience in both prosecuting and defending has made me a better solicitor and advocate, and I will use my knowledge to your advantage.