Recent crackdowns across the country are now resulting in nearly 2,500 uninsured vehicles being seized by the Police each week. These are being enforced by the Government-backed Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) working together with an increasing number of police forces around the UK.
About a million people or one in 36 of all vehicle owners are estimated to be without insurance, says the MIB which compiled the latest figures.
The British Insurance Brokers �Association estimates that these illegal drivers add £30.00 – £40.00 to the cost of each private motor policy. According to the MIB, uninsured and untraced drivers kill 130 people and injure 26,500 every year and the annual cost of uninsured driving is estimated to be £400 million.
The MIB are now providing the data from the Motor Insurance Database (MID) to the Police to get uninsured vehicles off the road before they have, or cause, an accident.
A number of nationwide police operations, such as the Mets Operation Cubo and Staffordshire Polices Cars Behind Bars have come into play in an attempt to clampdown on uninsured motorists. The initiatives use sophisticated Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology to check car registrations against insurance databases.
The Police check for insurance at roadside stops and this includes checking that the driver is insured and that the purpose of the journey is also insured. The police will have zero tolerance and will seize a vehicle they believe is uninsured. Fines can also be given for missing or incorrect data on the database.
The purpose of the Motor insurers Bureau (MIB) is to significantly reduce the level and impact of uninsured driving in the UK and to compensate victims of uninsured and untraced drivers fairly and promptly. Any company offering motor insurance in the UK must be a member of the Motor Insurers Bureau. As a member they contribute to the MIB levy and supply data to the Motor Insurance Database.
The Motor Insurance Database (MID) is the central record of all insured vehicles in the UK. Managed by the MIB, the MID has been used by the Police and the DVLA since 2005 to enforce motor insurance law – ensuring that vehicles driven on our roads are insured at all times. Since then over 1 million vehicles have been seized, and the cost of uninsured claims is falling.
The Motor Insurers Bureau report said: �The increasing cost of insurance premiums is affected by the number of claims made every year from people who have been involved in collisions with uninsured drivers.
�Police powers to seize vehicles on the road for no insurance coupled with Continuous Insurance Enforcement are making a significant contribution to reducing uninsured driving in the UK and have contributed to a 40 per cent reduction in the level and impact of uninsured driving.�
�The Motor Insurance Database is a powerful tool for enforcement agencies to crack down on illegal motorists and reduce the very real and significant impact of uninsured driving.�
�Whether its a fixed penalty or your vehicle being seized, we are seeing the continued benefits of having a central database that the Police and DVLA can use to enforce the law. This is good news for all honest motorists.�
Penalties for Uninsured Driving
- 6 points on your licence
- £200 fine
- £150 recovery fee if your vehicle is impounded
- 14 days to retrieve an impounded vehicle with a valid insurance policy- if not retrieved the vehicle will be sold or crushed
- No vehicle is released until proof of insurance is produced
For more information contact Schofield Insurance Brokers or visit www.mib.org.uk
