Motor Insurance, Documentation and Legal Requirements

Legal before you drive

Driving is not just about skill at the wheel; it comes with legal duties that must be met before a vehicle is used on the road. A driver needs a valid driving licence, and the vehicle needs motor insurance, up to date tax, and, once it is old enough, a valid MOT certificate. Driving without these is a criminal offence, and insurance in particular protects other people if there is an accident. This module covers the documents a driver and vehicle must have, the three main levels of motor insurance, and the legal requirements that keep the roads fair and safe.

Documents and cover words

Learn these terms before the rules are described. They name the documents and the kinds of cover.

Match each document to its job

Third party against comprehensive

Motor insurance comes at different levels. Knowing what each one covers is a common exam question and a real-life decision.

What is the least cover allowed?

By law, what is the minimum level of motor insurance a driver must have?

• Third party insurance
• Comprehensive insurance
• No insurance is needed
• Fire cover only

Why the law requires it

Each legal requirement exists for a reason, and saying the reason earns marks. Insurance is required so that if a driver injures someone or damages their property, the victim can be paid without the driver having to find the money alone. The MOT exists so that unsafe, unroadworthy vehicles are kept off the road. A driving licence shows the driver has passed a test and is allowed to drive. Vehicle tax and registration keep a record of vehicles and their keepers. When you answer, name the document, say what it proves or covers, and give the reason the law demands it.

Pick what a driver must have

Select everything a driver must legally have to use a car on the road.

• A valid driving licence
• At least third party motor insurance
• Valid vehicle tax
• A working car radio
• A novelty sticker in the window

Order getting legally on the road

Put the steps a new driver takes to be legally on the road in a sensible order.

• Pass the driving test and get a full licence
• Take out at least third party motor insurance
• Make sure the vehicle is taxed
• Check the vehicle has a valid MOT if it needs one
• Only then drive the vehicle on the road

Complete the legal-requirements facts

The document that shows you may drive is a driving _____. Cover that pays costs after an accident is motor _____. The yearly roadworthiness test gives an _____ certificate. The minimum insurance the law allows is _____ party.

One new driver, made legal

Follow a new driver who has just turned seventeen and passed the test. First they receive a full driving licence, which proves they are allowed to drive. Before going anywhere they arrange motor insurance, choosing comprehensive cover so that damage to their own car is covered as well as harm to others. They check that the car is taxed, and because the car is a few years old they make sure it has a current MOT certificate showing it is roadworthy. The registration document confirms they are the keeper. Only with all of this in place do they drive away. Every document has a purpose, and together they make the journey legal and fair to everyone on the road.

Tap the documents you must hold

Tap the TWO things a driver must legally have to drive a car.

• A valid driving licence
• Motor insurance
• A car radio
• A satellite navigation device

The legal-requirements run

Answer each one correctly to keep your lives. Choose the correct answer.

Handle each legal question

Read each situation and choose the correct answer.

• A driver wants the cheapest cover that is still legal. Which level should they choose?
• A car is several years old. What must the driver keep up to date to prove it is roadworthy?
• A driver damages another vehicle in a collision. Which cover helps pay the other person?

Build a point about insurance

Choose the word for each gap to complete one clear point about motor insurance.

Explain the legal requirements to drive

A friend who is learning to drive thinks that once you can drive a car you can just get in and go. Using what you have learned, explain the legal requirements for driving on the road.

• Explain the documents a driver and vehicle must legally have
• Explain the three main levels of motor insurance
• Explain why insurance and the MOT are required
• Explain what happens if a driver has none of these