Every motorist is legally required to have insurance to drive on roads in the UK.
Those who drive without the minimum third-party cover could receive a fixed penalty of £300 and six points on their licence. If the case goes to court, they could get an unlimited fine and be disqualified from driving. The police also have the power to seize, and in some cases, destroy the vehicle that’s being driven uninsured.
For professional drivers, this could not only stop them from earning, it could also affect their livelihoods in the future.
Covering all bases
The Motor Insurers’ Bureau estimates there are 300,000 cars being driven on our roads every day without insurance.
The reasons vary from people not being able to afford cover to forgetting to renew their policy. Criminals also use uninsured vehicles in a bid to cover their tracks.
For professional drivers, it is not just about having insurance in place. It must cover every aspect of the work they are doing.
In the case of taxis, private-hire vehicles have to be booked in advance and cannot be hailed in the street or at a taxi rank because they do not have public hire insurance.
As well as risking having their taxi badge suspended or revoked, they could be prosecuted for driving without insurance for picking up fares that haven’t been booked.
Branching out
Similarly, drivers operating in other sectors need to make sure that they don’t get caught out by adding other strands to their business.
For example, private hire drivers who have signed up to a booking app, might be offered opportunities to deliver takeaways, parcels or groceries as a sideline.
Taxi drivers are perfectly placed to make these deliveries as they already have a vehicle and have in-depth knowledge of their local area.
Some insurance companies include food delivery as standard in taxi insurance policies, but many drivers need to request it when taking out their public hire insurance or private hire insurance.
It is vital that drivers check they are covered by their existing policy – or take out additional cover – to expand their business.
Clampdown
The importance of having the right insurance was highlighted last year with almost 160,000 uninsured cars being seized – the highest number for 17 years.
The BBC reports that the cost of cover was one of the main factors for those flouting the law.
Its report says uninsured driving costs the UK economy £1 billion every year. The figure includes compensation for victims, emergency services, medical costs and loss of productivity, as well as higher premiums for everyone else.
The MIB said someone in the UK was affected by uninsured or hit-and-run drivers every 20 minutes, with one person each day suffering life-altering injuries.
Hayley Sutcliffe, of the MIB, told the BBC: “We need to raise awareness around when people need to have the correct level of cover of insurance.”
The organisation has partnered with police forces across the country to run Operation Scalis to tackle uninsured drivers.
Hidden dangers
The MIB said uninsured vehicles and their drivers are more likely to be involved in secondary offences like driving while disqualified or be under the influence of drink and drugs.
Several of the cars stopped by police had faults including bald tyres, illegally tinted windows and broken seat belts.
Sgt Adrian Brown, of West Midlands Police, told the BBC: “A lot of people just own up to it and say ‘I couldn’t afford it’ or ‘I haven’t passed my driving test’.
“I think the other reason around this criminal aspect is they’re trying to hide the identity of the car.”
The message to professional drivers is to make sure they have the right insurance in place to cover every aspect of their business, whether they are taxi drivers, motor traders, HGV drivers, chauffeurs or work as couriers or in logistics. This not only ensures they are complying with the law. It means they are fully covered in the event of a claim and can get their business back on the road again.
