Driving an uninsured vehicle in Alberta, as well as any other Canadian Province, is illegal. Personal injury lawyer in St. Albert knows that if you are caught driving without the proper coverage, you could be subject to costly fines and several other penalties. Unfortunately, numerous drivers will take that risk and drive their vehicle without insurance. Not only does this put you at risk, it puts other drivers at risk as well. For additional information regarding driving without insurance, see Section 54(1) of the Alberta Traffic Safety Act.
What could driving an uninsured Vehicle cost Me?
Drivers are subject to numerous penalties whenever they risk driving without proper insurance. You’ll be facing costly fines, increased insurance premiums, and may have your license suspended. Although you might not get arrested or be facing any criminal charges, failing to pay the fines for driving an uninsured vehicle could land you in jail. Furthermore, if you’re caught committing a crime and are driving without insurance, you will be arrested.
In Alberta Province, if you’re caught while driving an uninsured vehicle, it could cost you between $2,875 and $10,000 for the first offense and you could spend between 45 days and 6 months behind bars. If you get caught driving without insurance a second time, it could cost you a minimum of $5,000 up to $20,000. Plus, could face between 60 days and 6 months in jail. The bottom line is that driving an uninsured vehicle is not worth the risks involved.
What if the Vehicle isn’t Mine?
Even if the vehicle is not legally yours or registered to you, you can still be fined for driving without the proper insurance coverage. So, whenever you borrow someone else’s vehicle, make sure that it’s insured. Failure to do so puts you at risk. If the vehicle is uninsured, the owner could be fined as well. The same holds true if you loan your vehicle to another person and it isn’t insured. And if there is a collision, not only you but the individual you borrowed the car from will be held liable to a certain extent and can be sued. Thus, there are legal implication of your actions.
Additional Considerations
Although driving an uninsured vehicle in Alberta isn’t a criminal offense, you could be charged as an uninsured driver if you’re involved in an accident. Furthermore, if you’re fined for driving an uninsured vehicle and you fail to remit what you owe, you could be facing anywhere from 45 days up to 6 months in jail. In addition to this, the judge in your case could order that your license be suspended. Most importantly, these actions could have an adverse effect on your vehicle insurance premiums.