[Terrykav]

Hi all - long story and it’s my fault due to an oversight but I drove without insurance accidentally. Court case was yesterday but my licence is still showing as valid online and I’m due to visit wales tomorrow with my wife.

Is ban likely to be immediate? I do plant to appeal if possible but realise unlikely to win. Am I still able
to drive?

Court don’t answer phone and no other way of knowing if ban is immediate.

Any help appreciated.

thanks
terry

[Rolebama]

A ban starts immediately from the time a Court orders it. Did they not order you ti produce it?

[NMNeil]

https://drivingban.co.uk/drivingban/banneddriving.htm

[Terrykav]

@Rolebama problem is I couldn’t attend hearing on Wednesday and my license is still showing as clean in dvla so how do I know if I’m banned and when I’m banned from? Thanks!

[Beelzebub]

Originally Posted by Terrykav

@Rolebama problem is I couldn’t attend hearing on Wednesday and my license is still showing as clean in dvla so how do I know if I’m banned and when I’m banned from? Thanks!

Why do you think you'd be banned? Do you already have points? Was the offence particularly egregious?

The courts don't normally like to ban people in their absence. If they thought a ban was necessary, they will probably have deferred the hearing to allow you to attend.

Either way, they should write to you.

Either persist in phoning, or wait for a letter. But do not drive until you know for sure.

[Terrykav]

@Beelzebub yeh I already had 6 points for minor Speeding, 34 in 30 zone type things - reply frustrating as it was a mistake whilst transferring policy to a multi car policy - my own fault but just didn’t spot that this car hadn’t been added

[Terrykav]

@Terrykav I’m going to appeal but reading online I don’t think I’ve got a chance

[Mark07]

I thought i'd share this RAC news article as it's semi-related to the discussion.

UK's Insured driving hotspots

According to the Motoring Insurance Bureau (MiB), the West Midlands is home to 8 out of the top 15 postcodes where we'll find uninsured drivers, whilst MiB received the highest number of claims from the Croydon area.

[TC1474]

Originally Posted by Terrykav

Hi all - long story and it’s my fault due to an oversight but I drove without insurance accidentally. Court case was yesterday but my licence is still showing as valid online and I’m due to visit wales tomorrow with my wife.

Is ban likely to be immediate? I do plant to appeal if possible but realise unlikely to win. Am I still able
to drive?

Court don’t answer phone and no other way of knowing if ban is immediate.

Any help appreciated.

thanks
terry

What makes you believe that you are disqualified? Were you notified by the court or by your Solicitor?

Bans take effect from the moment a magistrate reaches their verdict and passes sentence, so if you were disqualified and had you been in court, you would have been unable to drive home after the hearing. A ban is immediate.

It can take up to 72 hours for the database to be updated, so the fact that your licence is still showing as being valid at this stage means nothing, it might be midweek (allowing for the weekend) before records are updated assuming you have been disqualified.

No insurance is an absolute offence, no if's no buts and no amount of mitigation will change that, so whilst you have the right to appeal, just be aware that if you have been disqualified you could well end up having that disqualification period extended (I have seen it happen many times over the past 40 or so years,) so just be aware that is an option and some court areas actually have a reputation for extending the disqual period.

Whether you choose to drive over the weekend is only something you can decide, so it goes back to the question, what makes you think that you were disqualified?

If you drive and get stopped however the PNC (which is different to the DVLA database) might have you shown as banned and it s that the Police will go by which could result in your being arrested and your vehicle seized.