Is there ever a reasonable excuse for driving uninsured?

[XXTickerXX 10]

I used to work in penistone many years ago and got a lift in a morning at 5am.The man who picked me up used to drive over dam flask way.One monday morning he picked me up and was clearly worse for wear from the night before.After about 8 miles he was swerving and his head was lolling like he was about to fall asleep at the wheel so he pulled over and asked me to drive.This was before everyone had a mobile in their pocket by the way.Way out past dam flask,pitch black in January and about -5C.I knew i was not insured but i did anyway.Happened more than once as well.

[MC Spyda 10]

I used to work in penistone many years ago and got a lift in a morning at 5am.The man who picked me up used to drive over dam flask way.One monday morning he picked me up and was clearly worse for wear from the night before.After about 8 miles he was swerving and his head was lolling like he was about to fall asleep at the wheel so he pulled over and asked me to drive.This was before everyone had a mobile in their pocket by the way.Way out past dam flask,pitch black in January and about -5C.I knew i was not insured but i did anyway.Happened more than once as well.

 

Nice story, but are you saying it's a reasonable excuse?

[XXTickerXX 10]

Not at all.I certainly was aware that i was not insured and i wasn`t clothed for walking another 9 miles in -5C temperatures and took the risk rather than waiting for him to sober up.Just relating a situation i was put in.Out of interest what would other people have done.Refused?.waited?.walked?.

[MC Spyda 10]

Personally I would have done exactly the same as you, but had I been caught I would have been 'happy' with the consequences.

[John X 10]

My dad took a heart attack when he was giving me a lift to school. I drove him to casualty, no insurance, license or anything.

 

If I'd been stopped (which I wouldn't have taken any notice of anyway) I guess they'd have either let me go or more likely, given me an escort or took my dad to hospital in the cop car.

 

Mind you, I did then drive to school in my dad's car. The ambulance people told me to shift it as it was blocking the emergency entrance and I didn't want to just leave the car outside the hospital!

 

John X

[Greengeek 10]

The argument that may be used against you is that you were putting a whole bunch of other lives at risk by driving without insurance, but on balance I think the courts would acquit you if you genuinely were trying to save a life and had no option.

 

Driving without insurance doesn't mean you're more likely to veer off the road and kill nuns at a bus stop holding kittens.

No more lives are at risk whether you have insurance or not.

It just means that if you crash, someone's going to have to pay out of their own pocket.

[Number Six 10]

The above story about -5 and Damflask reminded me - I have drive uninsured.

 

A colleague at work had come to work in his wife's car because his company car was being serviced - they were waiting for a part. He got a call in the day to say it was ready, so he asked me if I'd help him collect it. At 5pm instead of waiting for the bus, he drove me to the garage where his car was, then I followed him to his house - him in his company car and me in his wife's car. Then he dropped me off at my house - saved me half an hour over the bus route.

 

It was only afterwards that it occurred to me that had I driven the company car I'd have been insured as an employee, but I wasn't insured on his wife's car.

 

Not to say it is a good reason, but there you go, I've done it due to lack of thought. This was before I owned my own car, so I didn't spend too much time thinking about insurance!