How high is the fine for driving a suspended car?
There are a number of advantages to suspending a car. You do not have to pay road tax, you do not have to take out car insurance, and the vehicle does not have to undergo MOT testing. So you save on a lot of costs. However, suspending the registration of your car also means that you are not allowed to drive it. If you do drive a suspended car, the police can impose various fines on you. In this article, we explain the consequences of driving with a suspended car and what fines you will face.
Suspended car not insured
If you suspend your car, you no longer have to comply with the WA insurance obligation. In the Netherlands, you are required to have at least third-party car insurance. This insures you for damage you cause to another person. This is not required for a suspended car, because you do not drive the car during the suspension period. So, in principle, a suspended car is not insured. However, it can happen that the car is insured while it is suspended. For example, because you forgot to stop the car insurance after the suspension or because you want to keep the car insured in case of fire, burglary, theft and storm damage. Even a stationary car can be damaged by a storm or fire. Even though the car is insured, because the license plate is suspended, you are not allowed to drive it.
Fine suspended car
If you do go on the road with a suspended car, the police can impose several fines on you. The fine for a suspended car is about €400. Furthermore, your car probably does not meet the MOT requirement because it is suspended. The fine for an expired MOT is €140. Finally, you did not pay road tax during the suspension period. So if you drive a suspended car, the tax authorities can impose an additional tax on you. So all in all, the costs can add up considerably if you violate this rule.
Damage after driving a suspended car
Even if the car has remained insured, the insurer will not pay out for damages after driving a suspended car. After all, it is not allowed to drive with a suspended car. The third-party coverage is not valid in that case. If you have caused damage to another person with a suspended car, the insurer may reimburse the other party for the damage. However, the insurer will then recover the costs from you. So you still have to pay all the costs yourself.
Contesting a fine
Do you disagree with the fine? Then you can challenge the fine by objecting. Objecting only makes sense if there is a good reason that you were driving the car on the public road. In practice, however, there is almost never a valid reason. If you think there is, for example because you were on your way to an MOT inspection appointment, you can file an objection with the CJIB. You must be able to prove that you were indeed on your way to the inspection company for an appointment. Keep in mind that the objection procedure often takes a long time.
Related pages about suspending your car
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