No insurance and I meet the Gardai - what next?

great unwashed

I am a 2nd provisional licence driver awaiting a driving test. Over the weekend I bought a much newer car than the one I have and this morning, before insuring it over the phone I literally took it for a spin in a quiet country lane around my house where the boys in blue aren't normally parked. Not this morning. They impounded my car, fined me €125 and said I would be prosecuted. Not very pleasant but I did break the law I suppose.

I have never been to court for anything. I really don't know what to expect or what will happen. What do they usually do for offences like this?

Melion

There was a thread a few weeks ago about someone caught without insurance, ill try and find it for you.

Melion

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055215358&highlight=court

1 year ban and a big fine

Expect your next premium, when you get back on the road, to be on the wrong side of huge also.

great unwashed

Melion wrote: »

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055215358&highlight=court

1 year ban and a big fine

OMG

I thought maybe 6 months at the worst and upto €100. The lad on the other thread had no NCT or Tax. This vehicle had all that.
I really don't believe this is happening.

denashpot

unlucky mate. the guards are p***ks. if u stole the f**king thing and said you had an alcohol problem like all the scum do you be sent for treatment for a couple of weeks and thats it!!!

chris85

Harsh lesson but should never be on the road without insurance.

Biro

denashpot wrote: »

unlucky mate. the guards are p***ks. if u stole the f**king thing and said you had an alcohol problem like all the scum do you be sent for treatment for a couple of weeks and thats it!!!

And who's fault is that do you think... the Guards or the Justice system? No point in labelling all guards as "p***ks" when all they can do is enforce the law that's there, not some law that they deem to be fairer.

@OP... you could ring your insurance company and ask them if they insure you to drive other cars. If so, and you're just after buying the car, you could get away with saying it's not your car yet as the change of ownership isn't gone through, but that's really a long shot.

Trampas

great unwashed wrote: »

OMG

I thought maybe 6 months at the worst and upto €100. The lad on the other thread had no NCT or Tax. This vehicle had all that.
I really don't believe this is happening.

€100. You should be fined thousands as with €100 it gives no incentive to get insurance as the fine would be cheaper than the cost of insurance.

Only way they will clamp down on people not having insurance.

Henry Ford III

Bad news for you I think. What you did was wholly irresponsible.

great unwashed

Biro wrote: »

And who's fault is that do you think... the Guards or the Justice system? No point in labelling all guards as "p***ks" when all they can do is enforce the law that's there, not some law that they deem to be fairer.

@OP... you could ring your insurance company and ask them if they insure you to drive other cars. If so, and you're just after buying the car, you could get away with saying it's not your car yet as the change of ownership isn't gone through, but that's really a long shot.

I really do think this is harsh as i was on a back road but I do respect the law. Someone else suggested phoning insurance company and i did but as you say, it's so long a shot it's gone.

Is the penalty really a 1 year ban and a huge fine? I know the circumstances are innocent enough but the law is the law and you're saying a judge will just look at it as such.

keith_d99

I think that you are covered on another car (3rd party) - only if there is an active insurance policy on that car - correct me if I am wrong here

lightening

Jaysus... tough break. Biro could be right, you just might have been insured. Do the Gardai have to follow procedure? Do they HAVE to seize the car? Can they use discretion, make you walk home and come back with someone insured? Then again, I'd say everyone that drives uninsured says they were just out for a spin...

lightening

I presume claiming you called the insurance a few hours before you actually did would be out of the question? (I mean fibbing here)

great unwashed

lightening wrote: »

Jaysus... tough break. Biro could be right, you just might have been insured. Do the Gardai have to follow procedure? Do they HAVE to seize the car? Can they use discretion, make you walk home and come back with someone insured? Then again, I'd say everyone that drives uninsured says they were just out for a spin...

I'm not covered.

Discretion that's roughly what I thought because of the circumstances (quiet country road) - I have a fully functioning car already so I wasn't relying on the uninsured one but am due to change it this season if you like but now it sounds like next year. God it's awful but I know it's the law. You just do these silly things and as someone said, irresponsible. The circumstances of this are totally genuine - I wasn't speeding on the open road or anything like that. I live near the edge of a town with very quiet country roads and you just don't think anything of it.

TestTransmission

great unwashed wrote: »

I am a 2nd provisional licence driver awaiting a driving test. Over the weekend I bought a much newer car than the one I have and this morning, before insuring it over the phone I literally took it for a spin in a quiet country lane around my house where the boys in blue aren't normally parked. Not this morning. They impounded my car, fined me €125 and said I would be prosecuted. Not very pleasant but I did break the law I suppose.

I have never been to court for anything. I really don't know what to expect or what will happen. What do they usually do for offences like this?

Why were u stopped by the Gardai in this quiet country lane anyway?
Was there a checkpoint set up?Was everyone being stopped?
Were you doing anything that drew their attention?

lightening

great unwashed wrote: »

I'm not covered.

Fair enough, your at the judges mercy I guess, tell the truth and rely on his or her discretion.

(and wear a suit)

greatdeeds

No insurance and I meet the Gardai - what next?

Foot to the floor - and burn rubber pal....

Honesty best policy.....admit the mistake...we all make 'em

....and go from there

great unwashed

jackncoke

if you live near these country lanes you know the gardai rarely travel them - it's in the countryside. But they were there near the turn off to the open road and I glimpsed them from about half a mile away - I thought they were on the main road monitoring traffic speed and I could just turn back. But they drove towards me. As if they knew.

And i was going 25 miles an hour.

Mickk

great unwashed wrote: »

I am a 2nd provisional licence driver awaiting a driving test. Over the weekend I bought a much newer car than the one I have and this morning, before insuring it over the phone I literally took it for a spin in a quiet country lane around my house where the boys in blue aren't normally parked. Not this morning. They impounded my car, fined me €125 and said I would be prosecuted. Not very pleasant but I did break the law I suppose.

I have never been to court for anything. I really don't know what to expect or what will happen. What do they usually do for offences like this?

If you bought it of a garage ring them and ask would they say you were testing it for a day or two before purchasing covered by their garage policy. They could also go to the pound and reclaim the car on producing the policy...

TestTransmission

Well,im sorry.I have absolutely no sympathy for you,u broke the law.We all have to pay ridiculous insurance premiums so we can drive on the road,i dont c how u thought u were above this

lightening

jackncoke wrote: »

We all have to pay ridiculous insurance premiums so we can drive on the road

Mines pretty reasonable and well worth it actually.

freq modulated

I think a year and a fine is getting off easily....much better than if you had been driving nd crashed into my car with me in it and killed/seriously injured me. You deserve what you get,take it on the chin and learn your lesson.

mike65

Mickk wrote: »

If you bought it of a garage ring them and ask would they say you were testing it for a day or two before purchasing covered by their garage policy. They could also go to the pound and reclaim the car on producing the policy...

Why would they potentially leave themselves open to a challange by the cops?

This country....I dunno.

Mike.

great unwashed

lightening thanks for the advice about the suit. I'll face the music in court and pay whatever I have to pay. As long as I've learned my lesson because I wouldn't have done this before - some of us get complacent and do stupid stuff after a while.

greatdeeds

lightening wrote: »

Mines pretty reasonable and well worth it actually.

Here, here...I actually feel sorry for my insurance company, Im starting think that they must be registered charity....

lightening

great unwashed wrote: »

lightening thanks for the advice about the suit.

The only reason I say this is, a solicitor pal was telling me about a dim view a judge took on someone dressed in a tracksuit. Disrespecting the court or something.

lightening

greatdeeds wrote: »

Here, here...I actually feel sorry for my insurance company, Im starting think that they must be registered charity....

ah... the sarcasm! I love it.

DaveD

great unwashed wrote: »

I really do think this is harsh as i was on a back road but I do respect the law. Someone else suggested phoning insurance company and i did but as you say, it's so long a shot it's gone.

Is the penalty really a 1 year ban and a huge fine? I know the circumstances are innocent enough but the law is the law and you're saying a judge will just look at it as such.

Does it matter where you were ? Anything can happen, tyre bursts, you lose control, hit some poor innocent pedrestrian/motorist etc etc. What happens then ? You say sorry i don't usually do this, it was a once off ... thats no help to them.

You obviously don't respect the law if you're driving uninsured.

I've no sympathy for you and am glad the Gardai caught you. One less off the road and hopefully you get a nice lengthy ban. Its people like you that make insurance premiums so high. btw, this is coming from someone who has been hit by an uninsured motorist.

Mickk

mike65 wrote: »

Why would they potentially leave themselves open to a challange by the cops?

This country....I dunno.

Mike.

Because they have got your business and would probably get any future business along with other business through word of mouth from the OP who they got out of hot water. The OP has learned their lesson, what harm could it do? I have had garage insurance, I had a stipulation that I had to be with the person doing the test drive but most big garages don't have this. Giving out courtesy/replacement cars ect. They probably wouldn't do it but to save a year of the roads it would be worth a try...

sparkyjo

just as a matter of interest did you syill have nsurance on your old car or a policy still running