caught with no insurance

ameee

basically I've been incredibly stupid.
I was pulled on the eleventh and the guard checked everything in my window and said that's all in order have you got your cert handy? I didn't do so she told me to produce it. no problem I thought.

I knew it expired in the eleventh as the insurance went a letter saying so and I intended getting knew insurance for the twelth, but instead of expiring at midnight the eleventh it expired midnight the tenth.

I had misunderstood horribly and was caught hours out of cover.

I produced the cert anyway and was told that's grand but I'm sure it will flag of the guard goes to check when the ten days are up.

I insured as soon as I seen the cert an hour after getting stopped but I was still caught in the in between bit.

I'm sick with worry I can't eat or sleep and the waiting for the axe to fall is killing me, only for my small children I honestly wouldn't get out of bed. it was a genuine mistake.

I have proof I got lots of quotes for the twelth to prove I'm actually that thick all dated a month ago so I can throw my stupid self on the mercy of the courts.

I'm a scale of one to jail how screwed am I?

Melendez

This post has been deleted.

eezipc

This has happened to me before and the guards were sound about it.
I did the same as you. I mixed up the days.
I had online quotes, email quotes etc but I never renewed as I thought I had another day.
Anyway, guards pulled me over and said insurance was out of date. I actually said that I had renewed (even though I didn't. I panicked a bit there)
So the Garda told me to bring the cert into the station whenever I get it. So I got insurance that evening and brought in the receipt the next day. I explained that I thought I had it renewed but I hadn't. He didn't seem to mind and off I went.
That was a few years ago though so they may crack down on that kind of thing more now.

If you renewed with the same company they probably started your new insurance from the time the last one ended.
Just check your new certificate & produce it

ScouseMouse

bubblypop wrote: »

If you renewed with the same company they probably started your new insurance from the time the last one ended.
Just check your new certificate & produce it

That sounds right to me. If you renewed with the same crowd, your new cert will PROBABLY pick up from the old one. Make sure you get the new cert into them pronto.

ameee

ScouseMouse wrote: »

That sounds right to me. If you renewed with the same crowd, your new cert will PROBABLY pick up from the old one. Make sure you get the new cert into them pronto.

different crowd unfortunately so definitely a few hours gap

ameee

also as nothing was said to me at the station about it being out of date by a few hours I don't know if I should pop the new cert down when it comes in? all that will prove is that I insured after getting caught.

don't know if it's best to hope either its not noticed the cert was a few hours expired/guard sees let's it go or if I should go down with new cert and explain would that just shine a spotlight in my stupid mistake?

thanks for the replies so far I really can't beleive I let this happen

Melendez

This post has been deleted.

Little CuChulainn

I wouldn't worry too much unless you get a summons. Even then, you've a good story for the Garda or the Judge.

JIdontknow

I honestly wouldn't worry about it, seriously they saw the cert, it was a genuine mistake. Worst case scenario is you get a summons, if you do (I think it's very unlikely!) all you'll need to bring is cert up to that date and current cert too as previous poster mentioned you have a good story.

seagull

It might be worth dropping back to the station once you have the new cert, just to make sure it's ok. Given that you renewed on 11th, your new cert will probably have 11th as the starting date. I don't know if it has a time. So if you bring the old cert that states insurance ends midnight on 10th, and new cert starting on 11th, you should be OK.

ameee

thanks everyone i feel a bit better about it I've been sick to my stomach worrying.

I called the station there as I realised I never got a receipt so I was checking it was logged. The guard on the phone said it was logged on the pulse system that I had produced.

I asked was it all checked out and grand, told him I was a nervous person and wanted to make sure it was all in order and he said yeah it's grand and told me make sure to ask for a receipt of I don't get one.

so after that call in hoping it just slipped through but as you say I've a good story if it does escalate.

gonna be in a heap cheaking the post for the next few months.

Thanks again

CarrickMcJoe

If the guard was going to do anything, your car would have been lifted there and then. Couldn't let an uninsured car continue.

fatalll

Im sure you will be ok.
Remember guards are human too, they dont go out of the way to mess people about, they are there to help and im sure you will be fine.
Stop worrying

esforum

if you had renewed you would have been covered, theres an extension of 14 days after policy stops. or at least there was

delta_bravo

esforum wrote: »

if you had renewed you would have been covered, theres an extension of 14 days after policy stops. or at least there was

Don't assume that. I worked for a major irish company and we didn't do that. It looks like you're OK OP but your new insurer could have voided your cover for driving uninsured previous to buying cover.

NUTLEY BOY

delta_bravo wrote: »

Don't assume that. I worked for a major irish company and we didn't do that. It looks like you're OK OP but your new insurer could have voided your cover for driving uninsured previous to buying cover.

2 interesting points.

1. Do motor insurers give days of grace any more ? If yes, is that only operative if you actually renew and with the same insurer ?

2. How might the new insurer void the OP's cover for driving uninsured prior to inception of the new policy if we assume that the OP is not being prosecuted ?

To Elland Back

There are no days of grace on motor insurance policies and there never was

coylemj

bubblypop wrote: »

If you renewed with the same company they probably started your new insurance from the time the last one ended.
Just check your new certificate & produce it

ScouseMouse wrote: »

That sounds right to me. If you renewed with the same crowd, your new cert will PROBABLY pick up from the old one. Make sure you get the new cert into them pronto.

seagull wrote: »

Given that you renewed on 11th, your new cert will probably have 11th as the starting date. I don't know if it has a time. So if you bring the old cert that states insurance ends midnight on 10th, and new cert starting on 11th, you should be OK.

Sorry folks, a break in cover of a few hours is no big deal in the case of house insurance where there are 'days of grace' to bridge the gap but that does not apply in the case of motor insurance. When a motor policy expires, it expires and you are no longer covered.

If your cover expires at midnight and you renew the next day, the start date on the new cert will include the exact time that you renewed at so the old cert and new cert combined will show that you had a break in cover from midnight to the time you renewed. The insurance company won't kick up a fuss about the break in cover, they'll figure that you left the car in the drive but you will never get a back-dated cert from them.

Samaris

It really doesn't sound like anything awful is going to come of this, OP. And it's not unlikely that they took one look at you and realised that it was an honest mistake and not chancing your arm (I'm going by your general state of alarm by that!). I'd be freaking in your shoes too, but it does sound like it'll be alright.