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Driving without insurance in Spain: the costly consequences
More than 2.5 million drivers take to the roads in Spain without cover
Spanish law, like everywhere else, obliges all drivers to take out motor insurance. However, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) estimates that around 2.6 million vehicles – 8% of the total – are on the roads without appropriate cover. And in the last decade, more than 300,000 traffic accidents on Spanish roads involved uninsured cars.
Car insurance in Spain is relatively cheap compared to many other European countries but getting into an accident without it could cost you dearly, both in the price of repairs and the fines that have to be paid.
What are the consequences for driving without insurance?
- Responsibility: in the event of a two-car collision, if one of the drivers doesn’t have insurance then he automatically becomes responsible, even if he wasn’t actually to blame for the accident.
- Damages and compensation: according to the Road Safety Law, the motorist driving without insurance has to pay for all the damages to third parties. These costs can stack up and if the guilty party doesn’t have the cash to pay, he risks having his assets seized to make up the difference.
- Penalties: the penalty for driving without insurance ranges from 601 euros to 3,000 euros, depending on factors such as the period of non-compliance, use of the vehicle or its category. The usual penalty for a regular car is 1,500 euros.
- Prison: in the case of an accident without insurance, the offending vehicle will always be seized and the owner will have to pay a fee to have the car released. The authorities also reserve the right to impose prison sentences in more extreme cases.
- Future expenses: when the driver tries to take out insurance cover in the future, the cost of the policy will almost certainly be higher.
- Psychological consequences: Any traffic accident will be traumatic, but being caught without insurance and having to cover the resultant costs will naturally exacerbate the psychological impact.
Help from the Insurance Compensation Consortium (CCS)
The CCS is a public body that guarantees compensation for claims not covered by insurers. If, for instance, an uninsured driver can’t afford to pay for all the damages to a third party then the CCS will cover the cost. They will usually file a claim against the guilty party at a later date to recover at least part of the amount.
If you are involved in a road traffic accident where one of the drivers isn’t insured, the DGT recommends that legal advice be sought immediately so that the insurance companies and the CCS can deal with the matter as quickly and painlessly as possible.
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