How To Shop For Insurance
Before buying motor insurance, you should shop around and get quotes from anumber of different companies to identify the policy that best meets your needsand budget.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has achecklist you can use to compare the policies offered by differentinsurers, as well as guidanceon practical steps you can take to cut the cost of your premium.
This includes:
- Paying your insurance in one go
- Getting your full driving licence
- Avoiding driving convictions and penalty points
- Parking your vehicle in a secure location
- Adding experienced named drivers to your policy
- Paying a higher excess
- Avoiding using your personal vehicle for professional purposes
What Happens If I Drive Without Insurance Abroad
The European Commission announced in 2021 that it was waiving the obligation to show the motor insurance Green Card for UK drivers when driving in the EU.
Therefore, your UK insurance should give you a minimum of third-party cover to drive your car in EU countries.
This means you dont need to carry a Green Card when you drive in:
- The EU
- Serbia
- Switzerland
However, you still need valid car insurance and must check with your insurer that the policy covers factors such as theft or damage.
Some policies might automatically extend your full UK cover up to a specified period while youre abroad. Some others might allow this at an extra cost.
As always, its important to check your policy terms and conditions. Speak to your insurer for clarification if anything is unclear.
According to the Association of British Insurers, if you drive abroad without insurance, then any penalties should be down to the individual country concerned.
These might include confiscation of your car, fines, and possibly jail time.
Its also worth checking travel advice for the country youre visiting.
When Are The Police Allowed To Stop Drivers
When it comes to being pulled over by the police, sometimes it’s pretty easy to see why you’ve been asked to do so. Regardless of whether it’s for an emergency or because stopping for that extra boost of caffeine has made you late for work, speeding is a sure-fire way to get pulled over. In other situations, however, it can be less obvious why the police might want you to pull over. A question many drivers have, then, is, when are the police allowed to stop drivers?
Well, according to GOV.UK, The police have powers to arrest you anywhere and at any time, including on the street, at home or at work. In short, the police can pull you over whenever they like on the roads. Once they do so, they’re allowed to ask to see your driving licence, insurance and MOT certificate. Don’t worry if you don’t carry these documents in your caryou’re allowed up to a week to take them into your local police station. .
The police are also within their rights to give you an on-the-spot fixed penalty if you’ve committed a minor motoring offencewe’ll discuss this further belowand ask you to take a breath test. In more extreme situations, you might also face the prospect of your vehicle being seized by the police if you’re suspected of driving without insurance or in-date MOT.
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What you need to know
- There are approximately six million car crashes in the U.S. each year
- In many cases insurance claims can proceed without a police report
- All states require drivers to exchange information after an accident
- Often injuries do not become apparent until days or weeks after an accident
What Does It Mean To ‘use’ A Motor Vehicle Without Insurance
This often causes confusion. The normal assumption is that the prosecution have to prove that the vehicle was being driven by somebody at the relevant time in order for that person to be guilty of ‘using’ the vehicle without insurance.
It’s not that simple. ‘Use‘ can mean ‘to have use of‘ the vehicle. Therefore we will occasionally see cases where the vehicle is parked outside a house on the road and the owner and registered keeper of the vehicle inside the house is accused of ‘using’ the vehicle with no insurance, which carries between six and eight penalty points and a hefty fine.
In this scenario the police could have chosen to prosecute for keeping the vehicle without insurance which does not carry penalty points. Under the compulsory insurance rules a vehicle has to be insured or declared off-road otherwise the keeper of the vehicle is guilty of an offence.
The police tend to choose this option if they have received reports that the vehicle is being used but they don’t actually catch the driver in the act. Also the owner / keeper could be accused of ‘using’ the vehicle with no insurance even if they were simply a passenger in the vehicle when pulled over.
This would again be on the basis of ‘having use of’ the vehicle at the relevant time.
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How Often Is The Mid Updated
The MID is not updated automatically when you buy insurance cover. There is often a gap between your purchase and the database being updated. This may give you concern when buying one-day car insurance that you will not actually be covered. However, you do not need to be. The MID is updated approximately every 48 hours. Depending on when in the cycle you bought your insurance, you may appear on it very soon after purchasing your policy.
Can Cops Tell If You Have Insurance By Running Plates
Cops can tell if you have insurance by running your plates. At a traffic stop, officers dont have to pick up the phone and call the number on the ID card to verify the status of a policy. Instead, they can walk to their patrol car, access a web portal, and review the real-time status of insurance data on a specific vehicle by its license plate number.
These real-time systems save officers time and will hold drivers accountable to follow the law.
While many states have enforced some type of electronic reporting requirement, there are still states that havent fully implemented a computerized way to verify insurance data. Instead, they use a Random Selection Program that requires random people to prove insurance on a specific date.
In these states, the number of uninsured drivers may be much higher than whats reported because its much easier to fake coverage. Take a look at this table populated with Insurance Information Institute data to see the uninsured motorist data for every state in the country so you can see the percentage of uninsured drivers in your state.
Percentage of Uninsured Drivers by State
| State |
|---|
While the average varies per state, the overall average is about 13 percent across the country.
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When Can I Be Stopped By The Police
There are three general circumstances under which a police officer may stop you:
Unless you have been arrested or detained by the police, you are free to go. This can be done simply by asking the officer if you are under arrest or detained. If the officer say no, you may leave. If the officer says yes, ask for what you are arrested or why you are being detained. You have the right to be informed why the police are arresting or detaining you.
If You Want To Fight The Charge
If you want to fight the charge and you received an appearance notice or summons, see our information on defending yourself against a criminal charge.
If you received a violation ticket, you can dispute the ticket. You have 30 days from the date of the offence to dispute the ticket.
You can dispute the ticket in person or by mail. We explain the details in our information on traffic tickets.
A hearing date will be set. At your hearing, the police officer who stopped you will testify . You will get a chance to question the officer. After, you can choose to testify yourself. You may also call other witnesses. A judicial justice will decide whether youre guilty or not guilty. Our information on traffic tickets explains the process more fully.
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Can Police Take Your Phone For Evidence If It Was Stolen
Lets assume that a drug dealers mobile device was stolen by one of their cohorts. A few weeks later, the cops arrest the thief and discover that the smartphone belongs to someone else.
If this happens, can they still search it? The answer is certainly yes. Firstly, the police need to identify who the device belongs to/was stolen from. Doing so requires them to go through data, images, and other details.
Secondly, when they discover any wrongdoing or illegal acts after searching the phone, law enforcement can arrest the suspect.
Going back to the drug dealer example, the police will likely find text messages between the seller and the buyers. They could also see pictures of the suspect while they were consuming drugs.
The courts will accept all of this content as evidence, even if the police obtained it without a warrant. After all, they originally found it on a stolen device.
How Do I Check If My Car Is Insured
The easiest way to find out whether your car is insured is to note down the registration number of your vehicle. You can check this against the national Motor Insurance Database . This is a national register of all of the cars insured in the UK and is available to all registered insurance companies as well as other authorities such as the police and DVLA.
A search on the motor insurance database is free to conduct. However, there is a nominal free if you wish to find out additional details such as the name of the insurance provider and specific details about the policy.
We dont offer an insurance check here at FreeCarCheck, because askMID does not resell their data. AskMID is run by the insurance industry and they do not resell access to their database. So in other words, the only place to find out if the vehicle is insured is by going direct to the askMID website!
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Canadian Drivers In The Us Need To Be Aware
All drivers in the U.S. whether they are visitors or residents are expected to obey U.S. driving laws. Pay close attention to speed limits, do not drink and drive, or carry alcohol, drugs or weapons in your vehicle.
If you find yourself pulled over, follow the general guidelines above to avoid creating a nasty situation. If you are arrested and have to appear in court, the process could take months, and you must remain in the country or a warrant will be issued for your arrest.
Most people would agree that they would rather avoid a police pullover than have to deal with it. But sometimes the situation is out of your control. Obey the rules of the road, keep a level head and know your rights, and chances are youll be headed to your destination in no time.
Benefits Of Electronic Proof Of Insurance
Here is how digital coverage simplifies the process :
- Eliminates the need for the current paper slips.
- Insurers and brokers can send it to consumers electronically.
- Going digital solves the issue of drivers not being able to show proof because they forget their paper slip at home, saving them from getting a unnecessary ticket.
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Caught Driving With No Insurance
The Magistrates Court treats driving uninsured very seriously. This is because of the implications were you to have an accident without having a valid insurance policy in place to cover third parties.
All the prosecution need to prove therefore, for you to be found guilty of driving with no insurance, is that you were driving a motor vehicle and were on a public road when the alleged offence occurred.
The burden of proof passes to the Defendant to prove that you were insured at the time you were driving. Because this is a documentary offence, you are expected to be able to make your policy documentation available.
It would be virtually impossible for the prosecution to prove that you were driving with no insurance.
This is because, they would have to contact every policy provider in the country. Additionally, they would need to use their insurance database in order to establish that there was no valid car insurance policy of cover in place.
Driving without insurance is one of the only road traffic offences where the defendant has to prove anything.
Do I Still Need Insurance If I Am Test Driving A Car
Yes, you still need insurance if youre test driving a car. You can take out a temporary car insurance policy for test drives.
If youre buying a car from a dealership, they may well have insurance in place to cover you for this, but you should check. If youre buying or selling a car privately you will need to make sure that insurance cover is in place, even if it is only for a short trip. These policies can be taken out for as little as an hour.
If you need to borrow or share a car for a short trip, you can purchase Temporary Car Insurance to cover you for an hour or up to 30 days. The cover is fully flexible, so if you buy an hour you can top it up online if you need more.
There are monthly subscription and pay as you go car insurance options. Our Pay by Mile car insurance is purchased on a monthly rolling subscription that you can cancel at anytime for no charge. You pay a monthly parked premium and then only for the miles you drive as you do them.
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Can Police Check If You Have Insurance By Running Your Plates
Posted on behalf of Jay Trucks and Associates on in Auto Accidents
Having car insurance in Michigan is required. Drivers must meet the minimum insurance requirements to operate a vehicle on the road. Having valid car insurance coverage is also something the police check for. But how do officers know if you have insurance? In addition to carrying proof of your no-fault insurance, the police can run your plates to get updated information on your insurance status.
Below, Jay Trucks discusses the tools used by the police to check a drivers insurance status, what happens when false information is provided or you are found driving without insurance, as well as how license plate insurance detection benefits both officers and drivers.
If you need legal help or are unsure of your coverage limits in the event of a car accident, one of our licensed attorneys is here to offer assistance. We offer an initial consultation at no cost or risk to you.
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Do I Need A Police Report After An Accident
Car accidents happen every day. According to the U.S. Department of Transportations National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are approximately six million car crashes in the U.S. alone each year.
Whether you need a police report after an accident largely depends on the the state in which you live. Many states require you to report any accident that involves an injury. Even for accidents involving only vehicle damage, some states still require drivers to report the accident if the damage is over a certain amount, typically $1,000 or $2,500. Notwithstanding the legal requirements, it may be in your best interest to file a police report, regardless of the damages.
Watch this video to learn the difference between an information exchange document and an accident report:
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Leave Your Car Behind
If you’re going out with the family or your friends, and you know you’re going to be having a tipple or two, you might be better off just leaving your car at home. If you’re caught drink-driving, you’ll end up with points on your licence, a fine and possibly disqualification from driving altogether.
What To Do If Youre Pulled Over
- Stay calm and compliant even if you feel the officers treatment is unfair.
- Be polite. Its important not to swear or display anger.
- Keep your hands where the officer can see them, and avoid sudden movements.
- If you need to get your documents from the glove compartment, inform the officer that you are doing so.
- Be honest. If you are caught in a lie, you may be charged with obstructing justice.
- Pay close attention. If youve had a negative experience, take note of the circumstances surrounding the encounter, including the police officers name and badge number, and file a complaint.
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