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  • Careless Driving Solicitors

Careless Driving Solicitors

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Careless driving, also known as driving without due care and attention, is a criminal offence. There are various actions that can be classed as careless driving, and their severity can impact the penalty you face.

Whichever way you intend to plead, our solicitors will use their specialist knowledge of road traffic law to get you the best outcome.

Contact us today to discuss your situation. We’ll advise you on the evidence against you, on the available defences, and confirm what your options are.

Why choose Irwin Mitchell's road traffic law solicitors?

Our road traffic law solicitors have more than 25 years’ experience in successfully representing people in careless driving cases. We’ve a proven history of securing the best result possible for our clients, whether they chose to plead guilty or not guilty.

We’ve strong working relationships with barristers and forensic collision investigators. These professionals have skills that can be invaluable in supporting your defence. Our many years of working in this area of law means we’ve an unrivalled set of expertise.

We work in a way that’s best for you. We’ve offices throughout the country, which means you can visit us at a location that’s close to you. If you’d rather, we can communicate via email, phone, or video call.

Leading legal experts in motor offences
Over 25 years' experience in reducing driving disqualifications
Offices around the country
Accessible, flexible and professional service

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0808 291 3524

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Loren Hills headshot
Loren Hills Associate Chartered Legal Executive Meet the team

More information on driving without insurance

If you’re charged with any type of motoring offence, it’s always worth having a solicitor by your side. The law is a complex and ever-changing thing, which is why our experts are constantly renewing their knowledge and developing their skills.

We can advise you in full of all your options according to your unique circumstances.

If you’re facing a charge of driving without insurance, we strongly advise you to contact us as soon as possible.

Driving without insurance is a strict liability offence. You either had insurance or not.

If there's been a mistake with your insurance policy (for example, the insurance failed to renew despite you confirming that you wanted the policy to auto-renew), we could help you obtain a letter of indemnity from the insurance company. If a letter of indemnity can be obtained, we can get the charge against you dropped.

You may also have special reasons if you were misled to believing that you were insured. For instance, if another family member was responsible for managing the insurance. If you can satisfy the court that special reasons exist, the court can use its discretion and not impose a penalty for the offence.

If you’re facing a charge of driving without insurance, we can discuss your case and provide you with confirmation of your options. Depending on your case, we will help you see the charge dropped, advance special reasons or seek the most lenient sentence from the court.

Talk to us today to tell us how we can help you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a special reason for having no insurance?

A special reason doesn’t amount to a defence, but it can be a mitigating circumstance that the court should consider. If you’ve a special reason for driving without insurance, you might be able to avoid penalty points on your licence.

Special reasons for having no car insurance could include:

  • There was a genuine emergency which required you to drive without insurance.
  • You were misled to believe that you were insured to drive at the time
  • A fault on your insurer’s part, such as cancelling your insurance policy and not telling you.

What’s the penalty for driving without insurance?

If you've been caught driving without insurance, you may receive a fixed penalty offer of six points and fine. If you are sentenced by the court, the sentencing guidelines range from a fine and six-to-eight points, up to a fine and a disqualification for between six and 12 months.

The sentence will depend on the seriousness of the offence. If you've given the police false details or there's evidence of sustained uninsured use and your case involved an accident, you'll be looking at the most severe sentence.

Whatever your case, we can represent you and seek the most lenient sentence from the court.

About Irwin Mitchell

Founded in Sheffield in 1912, Irwin Mitchell has always been a bit different. Our advisers really get to know the people and business that we help.

We have offices around the UK so wherever you are, our experts can help.

Contact Us

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