There are lots of things about car insurance that many of us don’t know or just take for granted. This article looks into some of them and what some of the differences are, between the US and UK, to help you be on the right side of the law.
Unlike our dear old United States of America, if you fail to produce an insurance certificate for your automobile in the United Kingdom at any time that some cop stops you, it is an offence. Some other parts of the world have such rules, even a couple of states in the U.S. But I doubt that any of them are that mean.
Everywhere in the world, we have people who stick with and obey the law, and we have those who do everything they can to flout it. Then again, we have people who play games with the law, maybe without even knowing what the consequences can be. I am not talking about playing games for money like this site shows but actually playing games to try to mess with the law.
Take in the UK, for example, you can’t own a vehicle without first getting your auto insurance; and you must have the certificate of it on your windshield like all the time.
The United Kingdom, unlike the United States, has a Motor Insurers Bureau. This organization arranges compensation for victims of road accidents when the accidents are caused by persons uninsured.
They are also the ones who take care of hit-and-runs. In addition, they operate what is known as a Motor Insurance Database. This database is said to contain the details of every single insured car in the whole country. That’s how they are able to trace you or anyone else, if they have to.
Almost every state in America today has traffic laws that ensure auto insurance covering liability for injuries and property damage done to others. However, the way it is enforced may be different, from one state to another state.
Some states in fact are more lenient than others, but you might want to be careful here. You don’t want to get into any trouble with the law at all, especially just because you were of the thought that “things are different here.’ If you really don’t know what the law is, take the time to find out.
Most states in America make auto insurance compulsory at some level. New Hampshire, as a point of fact, is not very particular about liability insurance, but the state of Virginia is. There is no short cut; you have to acquaint yourself with the laws of each state before you drive actively there.
Residents in the State of Virginia are required by law to pay an annual fee of $500 to the state for every car that they own. In a sense, this is some kind of auto insurance that is similar to what is practiced in the UK. You won’t have to pay this fee if you have insurance on that car.
In some states, you have to pay an annual fee per vehicle if you are not going to get an auto insurance coverage for the car. Specifically, a state like Virginia is particular about liability insurance. You get it, or you pay… or you don’t get to keep your car.
Everywhere you go in the United States there are even strict penalties for not buying auto insurance. But of course, don’t forget that it depends on the state you are because the consequences of noncompliance are known to vary from state to state. With some states you may get a slap on the wrist while in other states you pay a fine. And with other states you may even end up facing an irate judge, if things go wrong.
It is not every state in the US today that even requires you to pay a substantial fine because you don’t have auto insurance on your car. Some give you a license or registration suspension or revocation, and some send you to jail. Imagine doing jail time because you don’t have auto insurance.
Almost everywhere you go in the world today, you must have some form of insurance on your vehicle before you are allowed to drive it. Many states in the U.S have it that you must even buy a minimum insurance of third party insurance.
