I have had several instances where I have 'accidentally' drove without adequate cover.
Most recently, when I came to tax my car online at the end of last month I got a message on screen stating that my insurance could not be found. I had insured the car three months earlier, I had my certificate of insurance and the payments were being debited from my account each month, so as far as I was concerned, I was insured. After several calls to my insurance provider and several attempts to tax the car it came to light that the insurance company had the wrong registration number, the letter 'O' where it should have been the number '0'. I had insured the vehicle online, so am assuming that it was me who entered the registration number incorrectly, so I didn't push it with the insurance company, I was just thankful that I had not been pulled over and hit with a penalty for driving without insurance, though I do wonder how it would have panned out had I been pulled.
I have also drove with no MOT in the past, for about two months, completely forgetting that it was due. Lucky again that I did not get pulled over.
Also, I once taxed my car mid month and put the tax disc away safely at the back of the drawer with the intention of displaying it on the car at the start of the following month when it was needed. I forgot, and only realised months later when I was looking for something else in the drawer and came across the tax disc. Even though I was taxed, I know there is a penalty for not displaying the tax on the vehicle.
I have been lucky not to have been hit with a penalty on three occasions, and have since set reminders on my email calendar.
Most recently, when I came to tax my car online at the end of last month I got a message on screen stating that my insurance could not be found. I had insured the car three months earlier, I had my certificate of insurance and the payments were being debited from my account each month, so as far as I was concerned, I was insured. After several calls to my insurance provider and several attempts to tax the car it came to light that the insurance company had the wrong registration number, the letter 'O' where it should have been the number '0'. I had insured the vehicle online, so am assuming that it was me who entered the registration number incorrectly, so I didn't push it with the insurance company, I was just thankful that I had not been pulled over and hit with a penalty for driving without insurance, though I do wonder how it would have panned out had I been pulled.
I have also drove with no MOT in the past, for about two months, completely forgetting that it was due. Lucky again that I did not get pulled over.
Also, I once taxed my car mid month and put the tax disc away safely at the back of the drawer with the intention of displaying it on the car at the start of the following month when it was needed. I forgot, and only realised months later when I was looking for something else in the drawer and came across the tax disc. Even though I was taxed, I know there is a penalty for not displaying the tax on the vehicle.
I have been lucky not to have been hit with a penalty on three occasions, and have since set reminders on my email calendar.