Motorists risk having their driving licence “suspended” and being hit with massive fines for making a major car insurance mistake when buying a second-hand used car.
According to experts, motorists could put themselves at serious risk of breaking the law in the excitement of getting their hands on a new vehicle.
Even taking someone else’s vehicle for a test drive could backfire if motorists do not have valid insurance in place.
Nicholas Shaw, Director of Operations for Dayinsure, stresses failing to have the right policies in place could come back to bite if road users are caught out.
Section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 states that motorists must not get behind the wheel of a vehicle without valid insurance in place.
This law applies to all drivers regardless if they own a vehicle or have just purchased a model.
Some road users will be covered if they have a Driving Other Cars (DOC) agreement on their policy.
However, this extra is not as common as it used to be meaning road users may be breaking the law without even knowing.
Nicholas explained: “Driving without valid insurance is a serious offence and could result in costly fines, confiscation of the vehicle and a licence suspension.
“It may also make purchasing insurance in the future more expensive and reduce the number of options available to you.
“It is not worth taking this risk, even if you think you will only be driving for a very short time.”
Temporary car insurance could be the solution with motorists able to secure cover online within 15 minutes 24/7.
Agreements can be topped up immediately with cover lasting from just an hour up to 30 days.
RAC Car Insurance, a leading provider of short-term cover for road users, charges motorists just over £20 per hour on average.
A general estimation puts fees around £33 per day or £90 per week with four weeks coming in at around £169.
The RAC warns temporary cover can be more pricey than a regular policy but gives motorists more freedom over their agreement.
They said: “Temporary car insurance tends to cost more day-by-day than an annual policy.
“But if you don’t need car insurance for a whole year, then it’s usually much cheaper to just get temporary car insurance for the time you need it.”
