Car Insurance With Totting Up Bans

What are totting up bans?

Penalty points are used within the totting up system as a way to deal with drivers that commit driving offences of any kind. Totting up bans are used in addition to penalty fines and the original driving ban. As a result, the consequences will always depend on the type and severity of the driving offence. A driver can be given points on their licence for a vast range of offences, including:

Speeding

Driving without due care and attention

Failing to stop at an accident

Failing to obey a signal from the police

Breach of a traffic signal.

With the totting up system in place, courts have the power to impose penalty points onto anyone’s driving licence. The number of penalty points is determined by the nature of the driving offence that has been committed. Motorists with penalty points on their licence can then be tracked and identified if they continue to repeat driving offences.

A totting up ban can be given to drivers who commit multiple offences on the road and receive more than 12 penalty points.

How does totting up work?

The number of penalty points that you could be issued with will depend on the driving offence committed. The minimum number of penalty points you could receive for a minor driving offence is two, and for more serious offences you could be given anywhere between three and six penalty points.

If you tot up 12 or more penalty points from various different driving offences over a three year period, then you could be given a totting up ban. The period of disqualification will be decided by how many previous bans you have had:

If you have never previously had a driving ban, then you could get a six-month disqualification.

If you have been banned once before within the last three years, then you could get a one-year disqualification.

If you have been banned twice or more in the last three years, then you could get a two-year disqualification.

After this ban is completed, you will have your driving licence returned, and all points will have been removed. If you are a new driver that has passed your test within in the last two years, then you can only tot up six points on your licence. If you reach six points you will automatically have your driving licence revoked and be required to retake your driving test.

Can I get 12 points and avoid a totting up ban?

In some circumstances, it is possible to avoid a driving ban even after totting up 12 points or more. This is usually only available to those with special circumstances and where you can justify these in a submission of exceptional hardship. If you are able to prove to a court that a totting up ban will cause you or others exceptional hardship, then they may reconsider a driving ban. Exceptional hardship could include situations like:

Driving for a family member that suffers from serious health problems.

Working in a senior management role where disqualification could cause severe disruption to employees and the business.

Working in a job that protects the public, including the fire brigade, police or ambulance service.

It is also possible to plead exceptional hardship if the loss of employment is a guaranteed result of a driving ban. If you are in a situation where you may lose your job and be unable to support yourself or your family, then a ban may be avoided.

What is a TT99 endorsement?

Every driving conviction that you can receive has its own endorsement code that is imposed on your licence. The TT99 conviction code is given to anyone who has been disqualified from driving for totting up points. This endorsement will last on your driving licence for four years after the date of your last offence and is used by the authorities and insurance companies to determine your driving history.

It is a legal requirement to declare a TT99 endorsement when purchasing car insurance and failing to declare this could result in your insurance being invalidated.

Can I get car insurance with a TT99 endorsement?

If you have previously had a totting up ban in the last four years, and have a TT99 endorsement on your driving licence, it can make getting car insurance a problematic task. While the TT99 endorsement itself will only stay on your licence for four years, it is a requirement to disclose the conviction to insurance companies for five years from the date of your last offence.

Some car insurance providers may refuse to insure you entirely with a TT99 endorsement, while others will insure you, but you should expect the premiums to be high.

At MyFirst, we work hard to find our clients the right insurers who will accept TT99 endorsements if they are required. If you think you may struggle to acquire car insurance because of totting up offences, then MyFirst is here to help you get cost-effective car insurance based on your individual requirements.

Why is car insurance more expensive with a TT99 endorsement?

The cost of car insurance is determined by the risk you will pose to the insurance company. If you are a higher risk driver, then your premiums will be higher to reflect this. Once you have been convicted with a totting up ban, then you will be considered to be a very high-risk driver to most insurance companies. This is because you will have committed multiple driving offences within the last three years, that lead to disqualification.

Some car insurance providers will specialise in insuring drivers with TT99 endorsements, and at MyFirst, we work with these insurers to make sure our clients can find insurance at the best price possible. While premiums will almost always be higher than they were before a conviction, they can be kept as low as possible through a specialist insurer such as MyFirst. Receive a free best quote today by calling 0333 305 5116.