The UK Road Traffic Act & Car Insurance
The Road Traffic Act (RTA 1988) deals with many aspects of the law relating to motor vehicles and driving. The Act is broken down into different parts, but it’s Part VI which deals with the legal requirement for motorists to take out car insurance.
This section of the Road Traffic Act ensures that those killed, injured or whose property is damaged as the result of a motor accident have an effective right of redress.
We have replicated this section of the Act here for your information, but you can read the whole of the Road Traffic Act here.
Part VI – Section 143
Users of motor vehicles to be insured or secured against third-party risks.
1. Subject to the provisions of this Part of this Act—
(a) a person must not use a motor vehicle on a road [F1or other public place] unless there is in force in relation to the use of the vehicle by that person such a policy of insurance or such a security in respect of third party risks as complies with the requirements of this Part of this Act, and
(b) a person must not cause or permit any other person to use a motor vehicle on a road [F2or other public place] unless there is in force in relation to the use of the vehicle by that other person such a policy of insurance or such a security in respect of third party risks as complies with the requirements of this Part of this Act.
2.If a person acts in contravention of subsection (1) above he is guilty of an offence.
3. A person charged with using a motor vehicle in contravention of this section shall not be convicted if he proves—
(a)that the vehicle did not belong to him and was not in his possession under a contract of hiring or of loan,
(b)that he was using the vehicle in the course of his employment, and
(c)that he neither knew nor had reason to believe that there was not in force in relation to the vehicle such a policy of insurance or security as is mentioned in subsection (1) above.
4. This Part of this Act does not apply to invalid carriages.
