South Yorkshire Police issue car insurance warning as driver awaits court date

Drivers in South Yorkshire have been warned to check their car insurance or risk ending up in court.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Officers issued the warning after a woman was stopped due to an under-inflated tyre on the Ford Focus she was driving and when questioned claimed to be covered by an ‘open’ or traders’ insurance policy.

“People sometimes seem to think that claiming to be covered by a traders’ policy is like some kind of magic spell that means they can drive what they want, when they want and makes curious police officers vanish in a puff of smoke, said South Yorkshire Police’s Operational Support Unit.

The Ford Focus was stopped by police because it had an under-inflated tyreThe Ford Focus was stopped by police because it had an under-inflated tyre
The Ford Focus was stopped by police because it had an under-inflated tyre
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Sadly for this driver, our colleague very much wanted to see the policy in question.

“The driver couldn’t show us this policy. Not a problem. If you can’t produce a policy at the roadside we can just grab some details from you and check that everything is in order.

“This driver thought, or at least told us, that the trader’s policy was actually her friends, and that although she didn’t know who the insurance company was and she had no actual connection to her friend’s business, she was sure they would cover her.

“One car with an under inflated tyre on the back of a low loader later, our driver was walking away having been reported on summons. She will be off to court in the very near future.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Motor trade insurance – or traders’ insurance – means that businesses and their staff are covered when driving or working on their customers’ vehicles or those that the company owns, according to confused.com.