The problem
The latest government statistics reveal that uninsured drivers inflict a major financial burden on other motorists, estimated at around £500 million each year or around £30 in the cost of each insurance premium paid by drivers who do insure their vehicles. The Government also suggest that uninsured drivers impose other costs on society. Research and surveys show that uninsured drivers are more likely to be involved in road traffic accidents, fail to follow road traffic signs and signals and potentially be involved in other criminal activity.
The solution
The Department for Transport has therefore announced a package of measures to crack down on the estimated 1.5 million motorists on our roads driving without insurance. This includes the Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) Scheme which will be launched this year. It is estimated that in conjunction with police enforcement the CIE scheme will reduce the number of uninsured drivers on our roads by 40%.
How it will work
The police already seize about 500 uninsured vehicles each day and the scheme will compliment this enforcement by comparing motor insurance and motor ownership records to identify vehicles without insurance. So, when the scheme goes live anyone owning a vehicle that doesn’t appear on the motor insurance database (MID) will receive a letter asking them to do one of the following :
- Contact their insurance provider and ask them to update the MID records
- Let the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) know they no longer own the vehicle and give the new owner’s details
- Declare a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN)
- Buy insurance
The penalties
If none of the above actions are carried out the DVLA will then send a letter to the registered keeper of the vehicle which can :
- Enclose a £100 fixed penalty notice
- Inform the registered keeper that their details have been passed to the DVLA’s wheel clamping partners for the vehicle to be clamped, seized and destroyed
- Take the registered keeper to court to face a maximum fine of £1,000 on top of which they will need to pay for an insurance policy
For further information, contact Peter Millington on 01772 789455.