For our main car the insurance lapsed 3 days ago but I only just got an email today confirming this.

We had to take the car into the garage yesterday where we bought the car from - so it turns out I went there (a 100 mile round trip) uninsured!

On the roadside there were one or two police vehicles along the way plus a DVLA car which I think was checking vehicle tax.

I have now got insurance cover again, it was just a stupid oversight as I am so swamped with work.

Is the DVLA car going to issue a fine? Can I get points on my licence? Or is that if just the police actually stop you?

Gutted.

You'll be fine.

I let my insurance lapse on the coupe for 2 weeks or so, but the coupe wasn't driveable, so I hadn't given it much thought, then found out about the fine the DVLA can impose. Needless to say, that was last year and I've not seen any fine come through for it.

The difference is that your car wasn't being used on the road uninsured Alexis.

Jonno5cyl's was, and if it was picked up on ANPR by the Old Bill or the DVLA car then there could well be a fine and points on the way.

Most policies automatically renew. Unless you've told them to cancel, you may be covered still.

I rang them (Tesco) and they said it didn't automatically renew. He said I should have got some docs 3 weeks ago (which I did) but like I said I was so swamped with work I thought it ended in May for some reason.

My fault but fancy sending an email 3 days after it expired. I asked them on the phone to send me my NCB 3 weeks ago. At least that would have reminded me.

Rang DVLA and they said nothing showing on database yet but to call back in a few days. He said if it was flagged I'd likely get a £50-100 fixed penalty for first offence. Forgot to ask him about points though.

Always they way when you are up to your neck in rubbish, something like this gets overlooked. I am normally very good at keeping things in order. Worst thing is I shouldn't have even had to take into garage at all if they'd done their job properly.

I feel like a Basil Fawlty moment..

How absolutely infuriating! It's just the kind of thing that blights my life - I hope nothing comes of it.

Stuff happens, I guess. When I was back in Scotland, I noticed that the MOT on the 500 had recently expired. I don't know if anybody actually drove it in the few days (probably not) but it's easily done and with no bad intent.

No insurance is an automatic 6 points. I had the same thing happen to me. I thought the policy had renewed but it had lapsed. At the time I already had 9 points on my licence so I had to go to court. The magistrates took pity on me, and let me keep my licence despite me having 15 points on it. I wonder if I hold some sort of record for that!

From my experience they only auto-renew if you pay for them by DD either monthly or annually.

The chances are you will be better off switching insurance on a mainstream car every year anyway.

Odds are that you will end up with the same policy, just paying a different company. For me it has been ABC Insurance for at least 5 years; currently Lloyds bank are getting my money, last year it was the Post Office.

In what way were you caught?

That's why I decided to switch, Tesco had repeatedly got up my nose with regards premiums.

This just adds insult to injury. The only ray of hope I am clinging to is that their system is all automated so when it pinged out that email at 05.00am this morning to tell me I am no longer insured with them and what my NCB was that at the same time they updated the MID. So I am hoping on Wednesday morning (around 30 hours or say after my insurance lapsed) I was still showing as insured on MID. At this moment it shows as not insured.

Pulled over after being spotted by ANPR on squad car.

They'd need to pull you over or photograph you I'd think because they'd need to know who was driving without insurance.

I'm not sure what happens if my insurance covered me to drive your car (as it kinda does)

I thought if you were flagged on a road side check you were stopped there and then. It'd be a disgrace to let someone drive past without insurance - what if they then had an accident / killed someone and weren't stopped. I would have thought that would make the police liable through duty of care, they are aware of the law and they knew the car was being used without insurance.

I think you'll have got away with it as no insurance = car seized instantly and released once you have insurance.

Those all sound like valid points to me guys. Lesson learnt anyway, here's hoping I hear nothing more of it.

Maybe someone should make a Tax disc sized card that holds your MOT, Road Tax and Insurance renewal dates

Maybe then we would have a use for all those FCCUK tax disc holders

Those tax disc holders are no more, Bob - all gone.

Jonno

I wouldn't worry about it. It's most likely the DVLA vehicle was checking for tax as you say, and if the police cars were your average local police then they'd have to specifically check your number plate with the Police National Computer (or PNC). As confirmation they would also contact the Motor Insurance Bureau. If the police car is the more powerful stuff (so traffic cops) they'd have the built in ANPR (automatic number plate recognition system) and so they'd most likely know you were un-insured straight off. Some local Police panda cars (no, not fiat panda!) do have ANPR, but not many. Just depends on which part of the country you live in.

Also, there are hundreds of thousands of uninsured vehicles being driven on UK roads under traders policies, so not specifically insured to that vehicle, so again, the Police would have to stop you and have a little chat to confirm the status of the vehicle. Some people, who use this as an excuse (when they're not genuine traders for example) then come unstuck when they have to prove they actually run a business fitting the requirements of that traders policy etc. Thankfully, from what I'm told, this is when people do find themselves before a magistrate... and rightfully so. Their car then gets a close encounter with a crusher, unless they take out specific insurance which will have gone up in price anyway due to the six points.

If the DVLA contact you I think you'd be very unlucky. Further to this, it can take a few days for the insurance and other databases to link up so people that have just taken out insurance don't always show up on all the systems straight away. I know this having been pulled over after having insurance taken out just 5 days earlier and it not showing up on police systems.

Sometimes, we are all just too busy and being human we forget things, but it sounds like you won't make the same mistake twice as it has clearly worried you!

I'm no expert, but I think the above is accurate. If I'm wrong, then somebody please correct it.

Well the good news is I never heard anything, so I'm guessing I got away with it this time.

Possibly. Possibly not. Statutory time limit for prosecution of S.143 Driving Without Insurance is 6 months.

What, 6 months in prison?

Don't be daft.

Only if you're a miner