The new rules
From 23/12/2023, the European directive EU 2021/2018 came into force, which requires insurance for all vehicles that are used, regardless of where they are used (we talk about it here). In particular, there is an obligation to insure vehicles that are on private land and therefore also in garages, but the directive also provides for the possibility of suspending the policy.
The new feature is that the suspension becomes a right of the insured and cannot be granted at the discretion of the company.
The European regulation also provides that the suspension can be requested only once during the year, while until now many companies accepted even more requests for suspension of the RC.
Furthermore, the maximum suspension period cannot exceed ten months, except for historic vehicles, for which the limit is eleven months.
How to request suspension
The request for suspension (and any extension) must be notified to the insurance company with at least 10 days’ notice (5 for vehicles of historical interest).
The ways to do it can vary, usually it is done on the site, or through the application on the mobile phone of the insurance, by phone or by email. It will be necessary to provide all the data of the vehicle and indicate the start and end date of the suspension.
The fines are steep
During the suspension period, the vehicle is not covered by insurance and therefore cannot be driven or parked on the roads. If you are caught driving a vehicle with suspended insurance, the fine increases to 1,299 euros (909.30 if paid within five days) to which are added the deduction of 5 points from the license, the withdrawal of the registration document and the seizure of the vehicle.
