Driving without insurance

Hi Emma, after speaking to one of your advisers at your office, they have instructed me to email you with my situation. I have sent you a copy of the letter I will be sending in to the magistrates court defending myself on what has happen. Can you kindly read it and give me a idea on what chances I have defending myself with this true incident. Hope to hear from you soon. Thank you:

I am writing in to request for a court hearing regarding the fixed penalty notice that was produced at x. This penalty notice was produced due to me not having any insurance at the time of the notice.

I was insured by x Insurance, my insurance started onx . I was paying my car insurance by monthly instalments via direct debit. I was away on holiday from the x till x. On the day I went on holiday I took my car to a friends house which is close to x airport. When I returned from holiday I went and picked my car up and was travelling back home and did not know my insurance was cancelled. When I got stopped by the Police, the officer told me that I had no insurance on the vehicle and gave me a fixed penalty.

When I got home I checked the letters that I received when I was away to find that my car insurance got cancelled. It was cancelled on the x, 9 days before I got back, due to not having sufficient funds in my account. I understand that this is my responsibility, and I should have had sufficient funds in my account, but I run a business plus I deal with the household bills and I believed that I had covered all the impending bills in all my accounts before I went on holiday.

I have sent in the copy of the first notice letter from my insurance company requesting payment for the unpaid instalment. It was produced on the x, two days after I went abroad. There was no one at home to reply back to this letter or notify me. The notification of policy cancellation letter was produced on the x, when I was still away. I have sent in photocopies of my insurance certificate, passport and e-ticket to prove I was away during these dates and also to show my insurance arrangement with Co-operative Insurance.

I have held my licence for six years now. My licence is still clean as it was first given and I consider myself to be a responsible driver. I have never driven my cars without insurance or never had an accident. I know how strict the law is about uninsured drivers. I use my car to get to work six days a week doing a round trip of 14 miles a day therefore my car and licence is very important to my livelihood. I plead of you to not deduct points of my licence just because of this genuine mistake which I understand and accept. I am prepared to pay a fixed money penalty charge if my plea is accepted as my licence/car is essential for me to run my business and to earn a living.