Car insurance news
Blind man drove vehicle without car insurance
A blind man has been caught testing his driving technique as a disqualified driver sat in the passenger seat and gave him directions.
Omed Aziz, 31, would not have been eligible for a car insurance quote on the vehicle he was driving after losing his eyes in a bomb blast in Iraq.
The blind driver also has impaired hearing in his left ear and had lost a thumb and two fingers in an explosion in Iraq before coming to Britain.
Police followed Mr Aziz driving at 31mph in April, in Oldbury, West Midlands, and decided to pull the vehicle over.
PC Glyn Austin told Warley Magistrates' Court that he noticed the driver was fumbling around with the car's controls and was wearing dark glasses.
He said, "I attempted to speak to the driver. At that point the passenger leaned across and said 'He's blind'."
Mr Aziz admitted to driving with no tax or vehicle insurance on the car and said that he was depressed about his injuries and wanted to test himself on the roads.
Richard Knight, chairman of the bench, said, "We find he was aware of the real risk of driving with his injuries and therefore this amounts to dangerous driving."
Corrine Aldous, spokesperson for Duck2Water Car Insurance Services, the expert vehicle insurance provider, said, "Any driver who is convicted of a driving offence could find it difficult to get an affordable car insurance quote in the future.
"Mr Aziz was a potential threat to other motorists on the road who may have claimed on their motor insurance if an accident had occurred."
Mr Aziz will be sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court later this month.