Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is hit by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver according to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). And the costs of accidents from uninsured drivers adds around £30 to your insurance price.
Your insurance company should have a policy in place if you've had an accident or collision with an uninsured driver. Here's what you need to know.
What do I do if an uninsured driver hits me?
The first thing to do is take as many details as you can, including
- The make, model and registration number of the other car
- The other driver's name and address
- Details of any nearby witnesses
- Photos and details of any damage.
Then get in touch with the police as soon as you can and let them know that the other driver doesn’t have insurance.
- If you're injured in the accident, you’ve got 14 days to talk to the police
- If there’s any damage to the vehicle, you need to do this within five days
If you don't report the collision to the police, you could be committing an offence. The penalties include a fine, up to six months in prison, or penalty points on your license.
How do I claim on my insurance if an uninsured driver hits me?
If you have comprehensive car insurance you could still make a claim on the other driver's policy - even if the process may be more complicated.
If you only have third-party fire and theft you can make a claim with the Motor Insurance Bureau. They specialise in handling cases where one driver doesn’t have car insurance.
The MIB should try to reclaim the costs of the accident from the third party where possible.
What do I do if the other car drives off after hitting me?
If you've been caught in a hit-and-run accident, here's what you need to do:
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Gather evidence to prove the other driver's - known as the untraceable driver's - negligence caused the accident. This could be witnesses, CCTV or dashcam footage. Taking photos of the damage to your car or markings on the road that are a result of the accident might also support your claim.
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Get in touch with the police and your insurance company to make them aware.
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Make a claim against the untraceable driver on the MIB website. The MIB are responsible for handling claims where there's an untraceable driver.
You’ll need to make any claims for vehicle damage within nine months of the accident. There’ll usually be a £300 excess on these claims. Claims for personal injury need to be made within three years.
Will my claim be successful if I’m hit by an untraceable driver?
It depends who is at fault. The MIB should work with your insurance company and the police to work out who’s at fault for the accident.
If they find that you were at fault – either wholly or partially – they might reject or reduce the amount of your claim.
But they won’t throw out a claim purely because you can't find the other driver.
There are some situations where the MIB might be more likely to reject a claim:
- If you were a passenger in a car that you knew wasn’t insured.
- If you were a passenger in a car driven by a drunk-driver.
- The accident happened on a private road or area that doesn’t have full public access.
Will my no-claims discount be protected if I've been hit by an uninsured driver?
If you’re hit by an uninsured driver you might still lose some of your no-claims bonus. This is because the claim would need to be paid by your insurance company in the absence of an insurance policy for the driver that was at fault.
But there are some insurers that might protect your no-claims discount in this situation, so check your policy to find out.
What do I do if I hit an uninsured driver?
If you’re at fault in this scenario, the other driver should be able to claim from your insurance policy. The fact that they’re uninsured shouldn’t change that.
If you have a comprehensive car insurance policy, you could also claim to cover damage to your car.
You could still report them to the police for not having insurance, though. Call 101 or use your local police force’s live chat facility if it has one.
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