New Year shock for uninsured motorists

by Gill Montia

Story link: New Year shock for uninsured motorists

Latest figures from the Government suggest that over two million vehicles (or one in 15 motorists) on UK roads are uninsured.

According to the Department for Transport the number of uninsured drivers has risen by 100,000 in just one year, with the total figure now amounting to 6.5% of all vehicles in the UK.

However, from 1 January 2008, insurers will be required to register customers’ details on the Motor Insurance Database (MID), within seven days.

The deadline is currently 14 days and it is hoped that shortening the timescale will make it easier for the police to track down the uninsured.

John Close, Insurer Relations Director at the AA Insurance explains that: “Police use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology which instantly cross-checks registration numbers against the MID. If a checked vehicle is not on the database the equipment alerts police who can then stop it. If the driver can’t prove that he or she is covered, the car could be confiscated”.

The MID is operated by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau and this new level of collaboration with the police should impact on the number of motorists evading the cost of insurance.

However, normally law-abiding drivers who allow their cover to expire before renewing their policy will be without any period of grace.

Insurers will have no choice but to immediately update the expiry to the MID.

Delaying renewing insurance for even a day could result in motorists being stopped by the police for driving without insurance.

Research has shown that uninsured drivers are more likely to fail to stop after an accident, and are approximately ten times more likely to drink and drive, than an insured motorist.