Ignorance of the law is not an excuse when you’re driving your vehicle. So, driving without insurance can expose you to liability, fines, and suspension of your license. To save yourself from all such issues, it is advised to keep your insurance up to date with you when you drive.

1. The Risks and
Consequences Of
Driving Without
Insurance

2. Why you should never, ever,Why you should never, ever,
drive without insurance, evendrive without insurance, even
for five minutes…for five minutes…
Driving without insurance is one
of those no-brainer kind of
situations that always make me
give my head a shake. Not only
are you putting yourself at risk in
terms of liability, fines and
possible suspension of your
license, but you put others at risk
too.

3. Once or twice a year, someone
comes into my office who did not
insure their vehicle and was hurt
in an accident. Even though they
aren’t at fault, they have little
recourse to help pay for the
medical care they need. Sad, isn’t
it?
Now imagine the person who
didn’t insure their vehicle and hit
someone else; it’s even worse.

4. What Minimum Insurance Do IWhat Minimum Insurance Do I
Need To Carry?Need To Carry?
If you’re driving in Ontario, you
need to have third party liability
coverage. This is what protects
you if you injure someone else or
damage property, as a result of a
motor vehicle accident. The
standard amount is $1 million,
though carrying $2 million
coverage isn’t unusual these days,
as lawsuits CAN get expensive.

5. You also need to be carrying
sufficient accident benefits
coverage, without which you
could be in for some very
expensive medical bills.
It’s always good to look at your
coverages and make sure they will
meet your needs in the case of a
serious or catastrophic injury.

6. You also need to carry uninsured
motorist coverage, in the event
that you are hit by an someone
else driving without insurance,
and DCPD (Direct
Compensation-Property
Damage), which covers your
vehicle / property, in the event of
an accident where are you not at
fault.

7. I’ve known people who only put
comprehensive coverage on their
vehicle that they aren’t driving—
for example, if it’s in storage for
the winter—opting to just cover
it in the case of damage or theft.

8. Here’s the problem: if you drive
that car on a road for even just a
moment, just to get to the next
driveway where you’re going to
store it, for example, and you have
an accident and get injured? You
aren’t covered.

9. I can’t stress this enough. If you
intend to move your vehicle for
even a moment onto a public
roadway, you need insurance.
This is true for ATVs and
snowmobiles too. If it’s got a key
and an ignition switch, it needs
insurance or it doesn’t move
except on the back of flatbed
truck!

10. What Happens If I Don’t Have
Insurance And The Police Stop
Me?
The first time you are caught
driving without insurance, you’re
looking at a minimum $5000 fine
(up to a max of $25,000). Getting
caught again could result in fines
upwards of $10,000 to $50,000, as
well as possible license
suspension and even vehicle
impounding.

11. The risks are simply not worth it. If
you can’t afford your car insurance,
then it’s best to take your vehicle
off the road until your
circumstances change. Getting
caught driving without insurance
is bad enough, but if you cause an
accident? The implications are
enormous.

12. What Happens If I Forgot My
Insurance Slip And The Police
Stop Me?
As a courtesy, the police can give
you an opportunity to come to
the police station with your
valid insurance slips to prove
you had insurance at the time
you were stopped.

13. Typically, this is 24-48 hours.
That said, it’s a courtesy. They’re
not under any obligation to do
this and you could be issued a
ticket for driving without valid
insurance, which you will then
have to spend time fighting in
court.

14. Ultimately, the onus is on you to
prove that you have / had valid
insurance.
Ignorance of the law is no excuse
at the best of times but even more
so when it comes to carrying valid
insurance before you turn the key
in the ignition switch.

15. It’s your responsibility as a
vehicle owner to maintain proper
insurance, keep it up to date and
to always have proof of insurance
with you when driving the car.
http://derekwilsonlaw.ca/