Section 143 — Road Traffic Act 1988: Users of motor vehicles to be insured ... .

Users of motor vehicles to be insured ... . 143 1 Subject to the provisions of this Part of this Act—

a a person must not use a motor vehicle on a road or other public place unless there is in force in relation to the use of the vehicle by that person such a policy of insurance ... as complies with the requirements of this Part of this Act, and b a person must not cause or permit any other person to use a motor vehicle on a road or other public place unless there is in force in relation to the use of the vehicle by that other person such a policy of insurance ... as complies with the requirements of this Part of this Act.

2 If a person acts in contravention of subsection (1) above he is guilty of an offence.

3 A person charged with using a motor vehicle in contravention of this section shall not be convicted if he proves—

a that the vehicle did not belong to him and was not in his possession under a contract of hiring or of loan, b that he was using the vehicle in the course of his employment, and c that he neither knew nor had reason to believe that there was not in force in relation to the vehicle such a policy of insurance ... as is mentioned in subsection (1) above.

4 This Part of this Act does not apply to invalid carriages.