Every motorist in the UK must have car insurance by law, as it keeps drivers and their vehicles covered in the event of an accident.

Amazingly, despite the risks of driving without insurance, there are an estimated one million uninsured drivers on UK roads, according to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. This equates to 4% of Britain’s total motorists.

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Uninsured drivers are involved in more than 26,000 accidents, causing 130 fatal accidents and 26,000 non-fatal injuries in one year alone to drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

The average payout for a car accident claim is £5,349, according to insurance provider Go Shorty. This is the sum an uninsured driver may have to personally pay out if they’re found guilty of causing a crash.

Is it really worth the expense and hassle caused by voided car insurance, or does it make sense to keep it up to date?

 

What happens if my car insurance is cancelled?

Without valid motor insurance, you face being taken to court and paying for another driver’s car repairs out of your own pocket, while your own car will be impounded by the police. On average, it costs around £150 to release your car from a police pound, in addition to having to pay for insurance beforehand.

Even if you don’t have an accident, the police can detect whether your vehicle is covered simply by driving past you and checking electronically, using MIB’s Motor Insurance Database - a national record of all UK motor insurance policies which will tell them instantly whether you are insured.

You could be liable for a £300 fine and six penalty points on your licence for driving without insurance.

 

How you could invalidate car insurance

Some people deliberately drive without insurance, believing they can save money, beat the system and flout the law. Invariably, they’ll be wrong and will be caught by the police, even if not immediately. A police crackdown on the lawbreakers in November 2023, known as Operation Drive Insured, saw 3,736 uninsured vehicles seized in one week alone.

Aside from the deliberate law breakers, other drivers may have been driving inadvertently without insurance, due to an unintentional error.

 

Don’t pimp your ride

Many petrol-heads will have marvelled at the US television show, Pimp My Ride, when experts modify cars in various spectacular ways. However, the reality of adding a turbo engine, a stunning spoiler or a roll-cage could have serious consequences if you don’t tell your insurer.

There’s a question in the small print of your proposal form which asks if your vehicle has had any modifications. If you answer “no” and think nobody will notice, think again.

Most modifications that change the performance and appearance of your car will mean the cost of your insurance cover will increase and in the event of an accident, if your vehicle has been secretly modified, you may find your insurance is invalid.

 

Parking at the roadside

Some drivers who park on the street overnight claim to have a garage or driveway to reduce the insurance premiums slightly. After all, no-one’s going to find out, right? Although it may sound harmless, lying about where your car is kept overnight may invalidate your insurance.

Leaving it parked on the street increases the risk of damage or theft, so if you say it’s parked in a garage, your insurance costs will be lower. If insurance assessors come to your home to discuss your car being bumped by another driver while parked up overnight, you may not receive a payout if you’ve said it’s never left on the road.

 

Don’t be a racing driver

You may think you’re Lewis Hamilton, but don’t enter your car in a race to try and prove it.

If you enter your domestic car in an off-road rally or racing event, you’ll probably invalidate your insurance in the event of an accident.

Drive legally in a proper manner on public roads and leave racing to the professionals. If you do feel a need for speed, book one of those rally experience days out in a car provided legally by the racetrack.

 

Don’t obstruct your windscreen

If your windscreen is obstructed in any way, you may find yourself without insurance cover if you have a crash.

If you set off for work in a rush, with a small viewing hole quickly cleaned off in the middle of dirt, mud, condensation or frost, this is classed as obstructing your vision.

Similarly, if you have dozens of air fresheners hanging from your rear-view mirror, or small cuddly toys and car mascots piling up on the dashboard, it could make your insurance invalid.

Even a slight modification, such as having a dark sun visor fitted to the top of your windscreen, can be an MOT failure and classed as an obstruction, thus voiding your insurance. If stopped by the police, you could even receive a £60 fixed penalty notice if they judge your vision is obstructed for driving a car in a “dangerous condition”.

 

Sonic boom

Did you know some insurance policies won’t cover vehicles that suffer damage caused by the air pressure waves of aircraft travelling at the speed of sound?

We’re talking about the sonic boom that can shatter glass, such as the one Concorde used to produce, or the loud bang when a supersonic military fighter aircraft shoots across the sky above.

While most aircraft today fly below the speed of sound for most of the time, some will have short bursts of intense speed, such as during military training sessions, or during air shows.

The moral of the tale is to always read the small print in your policy, or don’t park near an airport or military hangar.

 

Avoiding accidents

Of course, the best way to drive is carefully, avoiding accidents, so you won’t need to make a claim on your policy. Keeping within the speed limit or arranging for a retrofit specialist to fit safe driving aids, such as parking sensors and a reverse camera, can help you to avoid pranging your car.