No Insurance, no Car

In the past, the penalties in this country for driving without insurance have been quite modest, with a fine of just £173 on average. But as the amount of uninsured drivers increased, the police are clamping down.

And they're not doing it by halves. If the police have any reason to think you may not have insurance, they can call a specialist hotline to check your details. There are also some roadside cameras with number plate-recognition abilities that send your registration number straight to a database which automatically alerts traffic police in the vicinity to an uninsured driver.

If you're pulled up for any reason and found to be driving without car insurance you could face a £200 fine and 6 penalty points. It's almost certain that your car will also be impounded, and unless you pay the release fees and penalty charges – usually totalling around £300 to £400 – and produce a valid cover note from your new insurer, your car could face resale or even the crusher.

There are hidden pitfalls too. If you find yourself having to get insurance quickly or face losing your car, you may not have time to search the market for cheap car insurance, and could end up paying more than is necessary on your premium. Much better to browse at your leisure and find a good deal.

The good news is that the fewer drivers there are without insurance, the lower the premiums could go for the honest drivers. The Motor Insurers Bureau has to pay out for any claims made against an uninsured driver, and this results in higher premiums to the rest of us. Plus, it's been found that those who drive without motor insurance are often lacking a valid MOT and car tax too, so the new regulations have added benefits in taking potentially unsafe cars off the roads.