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No insurance and I meet the Gardai - what next?

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24

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    #32
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    you bought the car at the weekend... ring the insurance company you're with and ask them to back date it for you, don't say a word about getting stopped by the police, and bring the insurance disc with the date you bought the car on it to the garda station


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    #33
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    adrieanne__x wrote: »
    you bought the car at the weekend... ring the insurance company you're with and ask them to back date it for you, don't say a word about getting stopped by the police, and bring the insurance disc with the date you bought the car on it to the garda station

    I;d imagine it was all covered at the roadside and the OP held their hands up to having no insurance. It would look very suspect if they suddenly turn up with a cert to say they were insured. 1 call from the Gard involved surely will only bring more crap down and at the least will piss the judge off more come trial time.


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    #34
    XJR
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 294 ✭✭XJR


    adrieanne__x wrote: »
    you bought the car at the weekend... ring the insurance company you're with and ask them to back date it for you, don't say a word about getting stopped by the police, and bring the insurance disc with the date you bought the car on it to the garda station

    Are ye mad or what ? People that work in insurance companies aren't complete idiots and they won't for one moment think that this is anything other than fishy. To think that they will do anything other than laugh you out of there is ricidulous.

    To be honest I have never known an insurance company to backdate cover like this it's just not going to happen.


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    #35
    LuckyStar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 510 ✭✭✭LuckyStar


    great unwashed wrote: »
    I really do think this is harsh as i was on a back road.

    So you think it would be more reasonable if they'd stopped you on the N4?

    The back roads or the DCs/motorways- where do the accidents happen?


    My lecturer was killed on a "quiet country lane" as you call them. He was standing at the side of the road trying to help someone who's car had broken down.

    "Ah sure it's only a quiet road, I'll just do 30kph above the speed limit/go out for a "spin" without insurance/other stupid stuff, no one will catch me, sure it's only a back road...

    My dad was driving around a bend on the back road between Maynooth and Leixlip one night and do you know what was around the bend? A ****in cow!!! Standing in the middle of the road! Lucky it was a white coloured cow, we saw it from further back than we would have otherwise. Imagine if he'd either been speeding and couldn't avoid it, or driving without insurance, just because it was "only a back road"...


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    #36
    great unwashed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭great unwashed


    It was an idiotic, unthinking thing to do and I'm not going to pretend anything else to anyone or try to do any funny stuff with the insurance company. You get so used to driving that you stop realising you are in a machine that has the potential to do a lot of damage to people and things, especially people. I disrespected the law I'll take the penalty whatever it is. Hard lesson.

    Thanks for all your replies and chastisement, I deserve it.


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    #37
    javaboy
    Registered Users Posts: 15,094 ✭✭✭✭javaboy


    LuckyStar wrote: »
    So you think it would be more reasonable if they'd stopped you on the N4?

    The back roads or the DCs/motorways- where do the accidents happen?


    My lecturer was killed on a "quiet country lane" as you call them. He was standing at the side of the road trying to help someone who's car had broken down.

    "Ah sure it's only a quiet road, I'll just do 30kph above the speed limit/go out for a "spin" without insurance/other stupid stuff, no one will catch me, sure it's only a back road...

    My dad was driving around a bend on the back road between Maynooth and Leixlip one night and do you know what was around the bend? A ****in cow!!! Standing in the middle of the road! Lucky it was a white coloured cow, we saw it from further back than we would have otherwise. Imagine if he'd either been speeding and couldn't avoid it, or driving without insurance, just because it was "only a back road"...

    The OP was in the wrong I think we've established that but he has said he wasn't speeding so forget the 30kph over the limit.

    He'll get the ban and fine probably that the mistake deserves.


    Oh and btw you legally only need 3rd party insurance so the cow example doesn't really make much sense (unless you swerved to avoid it and hit another car). Any injury/damage to you/your car would have to be taken up with the farmer who let the animal on the road.


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    #38
    great unwashed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭great unwashed


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

    Yes and the garda told me I can drive it as long as it's insured. I hope he's right.

    I suppose the court ban isn't applied until I get out of the court.


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    #39
    maidhc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,660 ✭✭✭maidhc


    A few facts

    1) You cannot backdate an insurance policy
    2) If you have a policy with the driving other cars extenstion bring it to the garda station now. It may not quite cover you, but do it. Try and not let this get to court.
    3) If you get convicted there is no discretion, you are off the road.
    4) Go to a solicitor. You have no idea how many people get disqualified for scew ups with insurance policies, often they are in the right (unlike youself with all due respect).
    6) You can easily defer the ban for about 2 years.


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    #40
    Savman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,323 ✭✭✭Savman


    OP, I'm not gonna join the high horse brigade, but you obviously know what a silly decision you made. I would speculate that a lot more people than you think will, at one point, have driven uninsured if even momentarily.

    It's quite a serious offence, expect a year ban and fine upwards of €1k if you do get charged convicted. IIRC the RSA add a mandatory 5 penalty points to any conviction of uninsured driving, don't take my word as gospel but maybe read up on it.

    When yer about to get buggered, best to pray for some vaseline.


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    #41
    Henry Ford III
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 17,711 Mod ✭✭✭✭Henry Ford III


    Other cars extension won't apply. He'd already bought the car.


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    #42
    maidhc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,660 ✭✭✭maidhc


    Henry Ford III wrote: »
    Other cars extension won't apply. He'd already bought the car.

    Legally you are correct. And if there was an accident the sh1t would hit the fan. The gardaí may accept it though and just let things slide, especially if you are not the registered owner. I know of a situation where an individual was stopped and got a get out of jail card on this basis.


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    #43
    wil
    Registered Users Posts: 4,188 ✭✭✭wil


    I am sure there are many people who end up driving uninsured out of ignorance and stupidity, but they should be a bit more aware.

    One possible example is when people drive away a non-NCTed car thinking they are covered on their policy, they had better check. I was going to do this on one occasion collecting a cheap private sale car for a friend thinking I could temporarily transfer my insurance but my insurance company said that without NCT they couldnt cover it and I couldnt even tow it. The only way they suggested is if I got a new policy or got the existing (seller) owner to put me on their policy - (2 chances). Just left it for the next person in the end. I doubt everyone checks with their insurance company first.


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    #44
    jimmycrackcorm
    Registered Users Posts: 14,339 ✭✭✭✭jimmycrackcorm


    Henry Ford III wrote: »
    Other cars extension won't apply. He'd already bought the car.

    But was his name on the registration document at the time?


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    #45
    javaboy
    Registered Users Posts: 15,094 ✭✭✭✭javaboy


    great unwashed wrote: »
    It was an idiotic, unthinking thing to do and I'm not going to pretend anything else to anyone or try to do any funny stuff with the insurance company. You get so used to driving that you stop realising you are in a machine that has the potential to do a lot of damage to people and things, especially people. I disrespected the law I'll take the penalty whatever it is. Hard lesson.

    Thanks for all your replies and chastisement, I deserve it.


    OP accepted they were wrong and is willing to take their punishment graciously unlike most other people who post here after being caught.

    So why are so many people trying to find loopholes and sneaky ways of getting off when the OP is being mature about the whole thing?

    The funniest one had to be backdating the insurance. Like trying to take out life assurance on a dead guy.


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    #46
    WHITE_P
    Closed Accounts Posts: 619 ✭✭✭WHITE_P


    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?

    Alot depends on the District Justice you end up in front of. If he is one of the many who hate young male drivers, you will be in for a real bad time.

    However your excuse doesn't really wash, how did you get the car home in the first place, and given that insurance is relatively cheap nowaday's compaired to what we were paying in the late 80's and early 90's, not really a very good excuse at that. Should have let your fingers do the walking !!!


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    #47
    monosharp
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,981 ✭✭✭monosharp


    The amount of drunk drivers, drugged up scum, never-had-insurance-in-my-life-and-won't-get-done-for-it-because-i'm-a-scumbag(s) on the roads and most of the people here are saying "good you got done" to the OP ?

    OP I feel very sorry for you.

    My only suggestion, go to the garage you bought it from. Have a chat with the owner etc, see if you can arrange them to say they were "coverering" you for the time during the incident. Offer a considerable few pound maybe.

    p.s > Shame on most everyone else on this thread. Although I don't know why I'm surprised considering the mentality of people in this country towards justice.


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    #48
    great unwashed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭great unwashed


    WHITE_P wrote: »
    Alot depends on the District Justice you end up in front of. If he is one of the many who hate young male drivers, you will be in for a real bad time.

    However your excuse doesn't really wash, how did you get the car home in the first place, and given that insurance is relatively cheap nowaday's compaired to what we were paying in the late 80's and early 90's, not really a very good excuse at that. Should have let your fingers do the walking !!!

    It's not an excuse - it's the truth. The seller left the car at my home friday evening after I drove it on his property. I went away from home for the weekend to work and on Monday morning just feeling a little tempted I did that above. My own car is fully insured and operational. I was lazy about insuring the new one or putting it off until the seller had signed the registration form which he hadn't when he sold it to me. By putting it off I mean a day or two - however long it took for the post to bring a form back from the local office.

    It's a crock and it feels like it.


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    #49
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    monosharp wrote: »
    The amount of drunk drivers, drugged up scum, never-had-insurance-in-my-life-and-won't-get-done-for-it-because-i'm-a-scumbag(s) on the roads and most of the people here are saying "good you got done" to the OP ?

    OP I feel very sorry for you.

    My only suggestion, go to the garage you bought it from. Have a chat with the owner etc, see if you can arrange them to say they were "coverering" you for the time during the incident. Offer a considerable few pound maybe.

    p.s > Shame on most everyone else on this thread. Although I don't know why I'm surprised considering the mentality of people in this country towards justice.

    Shame my ass. It's ok to break laws now as long as your not a stereotypical scumbag? WTF?

    So if the OP had a cap on sideways, the seat laid back and in a Glanza, would he have deserved it then?


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    #50
    Boggles
    Registered Users Posts: 40,138 ✭✭✭✭Boggles


    DaveD wrote: »
    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.

    What's the difference being a pedestrian and being hit by an uninsured driver?


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    #51
    great unwashed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭great unwashed


    jimmycrackcorm wrote: »
    But was his name on the registration document at the time?

    My name wasn't on the registration at the time but no matter, my own insurance company told me my insurance didn't cover me in the circumstance (I have a provisional licence)


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    #52
    great unwashed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭great unwashed


    monosharp wrote: »
    The amount of drunk drivers, drugged up scum, never-had-insurance-in-my-life-and-won't-get-done-for-it-because-i'm-a-scumbag(s) on the roads and most of the people here are saying "good you got done" to the OP ?

    OP I feel very sorry for you.

    My only suggestion, go to the garage you bought it from. Have a chat with the owner etc, see if you can arrange them to say they were "coverering" you for the time during the incident. Offer a considerable few pound maybe.

    p.s > Shame on most everyone else on this thread. Although I don't know why I'm surprised considering the mentality of people in this country towards justice.

    You make me feel better - thank you. But I did break the law which I knew I was doing but I just didn't feel like I was doing anything wrong at that time - the Law is far away and just theory. Well not anymore.


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    #53
    Duckjob
    Registered Users Posts: 2,859 ✭✭✭Duckjob


    Thats bad luck OP.

    If I were you I would engage the services of a solicitor to speak for you.

    Plus, all the other things that have been mentioned in the helpful posts - wear a suit and shave on the day, look as clean cut as possible, be meek and penitent, admit your mistake, apologise, and don't say anything that might antagonise the judge (ie. anything that could sound like you're making excuses).

    You want to present yourself as a decent person who had a lapse in judgement and f*cked up, but who has now learned their lession and is therefore worthy of some degree of leniency from the judge. That is also the impression a solicitor will help make for you if you have one.

    Good luck.


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    #54
    LuckyStar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 510 ✭✭✭LuckyStar


    javaboy wrote: »
    The OP was in the wrong I think we've established that but he has said he wasn't speeding so forget the 30kph over the limit.

    He'll get the ban and fine probably that the mistake deserves.


    Oh and btw you legally only need 3rd party insurance so the cow example doesn't really make much sense (unless you swerved to avoid it and hit another car). Any injury/damage to you/your car would have to be taken up with the farmer who let the animal on the road.

    I didn't say he was speeding, if you read my post, those are slashes between the words, not pluses. There are plenty of people who would speed on a back road because "sure there's no one else on the road, I won't get caught". Which is why I mentioned it.

    As for the cow, the road is busy enough even at night and there were about 5 cars my dad had to flash his lights at to try and warn them.
    monosharp wrote: »
    The amount of drunk drivers, drugged up scum, never-had-insurance-in-my-life-and-won't-get-done-for-it-because-i'm-a-scumbag(s) on the roads and most of the people here are saying "good you got done" to the OP ?

    OP I feel very sorry for you.

    My only suggestion, go to the garage you bought it from. Have a chat with the owner etc, see if you can arrange them to say they were "coverering" you for the time during the incident. Offer a considerable few pound maybe.

    p.s > Shame on most everyone else on this thread. Although I don't know why I'm surprised considering the mentality of people in this country towards justice.

    So basically what you're saying is, we should feel sorry for the OP, he was driving without insurance, knowing full well what he was doing, could have been in a crash with another car, and we should feel sorry for him?

    And you think trying to arrange a backhander with the owner is the right thing to do?

    The mentality of people in this country towards justice? He did the crime, he should do the time, not try and cheat and lie his way out of it like what you're suggesting. I hope your post is a joke.


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    #55
    great unwashed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭great unwashed


    Duckjob wrote: »
    Thats bad luck OP.

    If I were you I would engage the services of a solicitor to speak for you.

    Plus, all the other things that have been mentioned in the helpful posts - wear a suit and shave on the day, look as clean cut as possible, be meek and penitent, admit your mistake, apologise, and don't say anything that might antagonise the judge (ie. anything that could sound like you're making excuses).

    You want to present yourself as a decent person who had a lapse in judgement and f*cked up, but who has now learned their lession and is therefore worthy of some degree of leniency from the judge. That is also the impression a solicitor will help make for you if you have one.

    Good luck.

    Thank you - that's very good advice.


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    #56
    niceirishfella
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,538 ✭✭✭niceirishfella


    Henry Ford III wrote: »
    Bad news for you I think. What you did was wholly irresponsible.

    +1


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    #57
    agent_smith
    Closed Accounts Posts: 356 ✭✭agent_smith


    What if this happened ? What if that happened ? The long and the short of it is that nobody was killed , so no point delving into hypotheticals. OP made a mistake, put his hand up and said he is willing to take a slap on the wrist. My god the PC brigade really need to come down off the high horses. Sound like a pack of evangelicals . Burn him at the stake.
    most of the advice you have been given is good. Go around to the garda station, explain that you have a clean sheet. Apologise profusely to the garda in question an say you know full well you were in the wrong and know you have to take the consequences. He/she may leave it at just a bollicking.
    Unfortunately / fortunately in some instances the law is black and white. However there are lots of grey areas such as yours. I feel sorry for you, its a crap lesson to have to learn.


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    #58
    Gregor Samsa
    Registered Users Posts: 9,024 ✭✭✭Gregor Samsa


    agent_smith wrote: »
    However there are lots of grey areas such as yours.

    I feel sorry for the OP getting himself into this situation, but where's the grey area in knowingly driving without insurance? :confused:

    Oh, and people explaining why insurance is a legal requirement for driving on public roads are now the "PC brigade"? I think you need to refresh yourself on the meaning of the term "politically correct".


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    #59
    Duckjob
    Registered Users Posts: 2,859 ✭✭✭Duckjob


    phutyle wrote: »
    Oh, and people explaining why insurance is a legal requirement for driving on public roads are now the "PC brigade"? I think you need to refresh yourself on the meaning of the term "politically correct".


    Nope, the PC brigade are those who can't resist delivering a moralistic lecture to the OP which results in threads like this one being dragged completely off-topic into the moral rights or wrongs of what the OP did. Causing the thread to be derailed like that should be a bannable offense IMO.


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    #60
    agent_smith
    Closed Accounts Posts: 356 ✭✭agent_smith


    Oh, and people explaining why insurance is a legal requirement for driving on public roads are now the "PC brigade"? I think you need to refresh yourself on the meaning of the term "politically correct".

    re-read my post again. I did not say what he had done was wrong. I am annoyed that having told everybody of his misdemeanor (which is not a capital offence BTW) the OP is being talked down to and scolded like a child. He is well aware insurance is a legal requirement. In fairness he put his hand up, said he was wrong and never said anything about not taking his medicine. I think you sir, like that lofty high horse you sit on.


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    #61
    The Muppet
    Registered Users Posts: 14,003 ✭✭✭✭The Muppet


    Duckjob wrote: »
    Nope, the PC brigade are those who can't resist delivering a moralistic lecture to the OP which results in threads like this one being dragged completely off-topic into the moral rights or wrongs of what the OP did. Causing the thread to be derailed like that should be a bannable offense IMO.


    There is no doubt that the PC brigade are alive and well and posting on this forum but in this instance I don't think that applies. The OP knowingly drove without insurance, there is no excuse for that under any circumstances.

    Sorry OP but no sympathy here either, you deserve a severe punishment . A years ban and a hefty fine should ensure that you learn the lesson that insurance is not an optional extra.


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