Insurance in the UK - why no displayed disc?

[Irish]

So, I will shortly have to MOT, tax and insure a car in Ireland.

As such I will need to display 1) a valid NCT (mot) cert, 2) a valid insurance disc and 3) a tax disc.

As such, unless I have a "hat trick" in the window any person passing can tell at a glance whether I am in compliance with the legal requirements.

Given that for much of the UK insurance is appearing to be an optional extra is it time to consider a visible disc to confirm insured status?

Much and all as I hated the hassel of multiple discs in Ireland I now see the benefits (as a law abiding citizen).

Discuss.

[jbi]

i've always wondered this myself... the argument nowadays probably being, "well we have ANPR"

In that case why not scrap the tax disk as well?

[Snowboy]

Yes.
It’s a good idea.

In Canada when one buys a new car it comes without number plates.
One needs to have insurance to get number plates, then there’s a coloured sticker that goes onto the plates each year.

Sure, you could get some fake plates, but that’s actively doing something illegal rather than just not-bothering with insurance.

I think it helps that their DVLA also runs the state car insurance company so it’s all under one roof.

[thinfourth2]

As its a sensible and rational idea

If you have a really silly and expensive idea for showing insurance keep it to yourself as this is the kind of idea the government likes

[Ozzie Osmond]

South africa has rquired display of both Tax disc and Insurance disc for decades. Makes so much sense.

I've never understood why we don't have a 3-part holder for Tax, Ins and MOT discs.

[Twincam16]

thinfourth2 said:

As its a sensible and rational idea

If you have a really silly and expensive idea for showing insurance keep it to yourself as this is the kind of idea the government likes

That sounds about accurate.

In Britain, it seems customary for any new 'initiative' to involve setting up a whole new department and insisting that everything be done via an enormously confusing, complicated and expensive computer system that will never work, be full of flaws and will let everyone down on a regular basis. The cost will then be passed directly to the motorist.

Thing is, we don't even need another disc. Insurance companies could issue a little card that you press out of your certificate that goes in a holder attached to the windscreen, with a universally-recognised, difficult-to-fake hologram/barcode thing on it. All the government needs to say is 'from next year, this is compulsory' and all insurance companies have to do is redesign their certificates. It's so simple it makes the roll-out of chip-and-pin machines look like splitting the atom.

[jagnet]

I'm not convinced of the benefits -
The existing requirement to display a valid tax disc hasn't stopped people using fakes or stolen ones, so why would insurance stickers be any different?
A valid insurance sticker wouldn't mean that the driver at the time has insurance cover
Given the cost of insurance for many, extra hassle to circumvent the problem is still going to be far more attractive

Really the only people it'd impact, as usual, would be the law abiding whilst doing little to nothing to combat those that aren't.

[SarGara]

I never even thought about this until you mentioned it.

It does seem odd how we chose to display Tax, but not the other 2 out of 3 requirements for having a legal vehicle. We should either display all 3, or not display any really rather than the current mix/match system.

[FoundOnRoadside]

It'd just be something else for the tossers in Swansea to fk up. Because it wouldn't be anything sensible like the disc being issued by the insurance company.

[Snowboy]

AFAIK you need valid insurance and MOT to get a tax disc.
So, in theory all taxed cars have MOT and insurance.

It just falls apart when people but a pre-taxed car, cancel their insurance after getting the tax or do one of the many other scams I’m sure exist.

[Somnophore]

It's doesn't prove insurance does it, I could buy some, put sticker on and cancel.

[Irish]

Somnophore said:

It's doesn't prove insurance does it, I could buy some, put sticker on and cancel.

In Ireland they won't cancel until you send the disc back.

[MX7]

jagnet said:

The existing requirement to display a valid tax disc hasn't stopped people using fakes or stolen ones, so why would insurance stickers be any different?

Nothing will eliminate fraud or theft, but it would discourage it. You may as well say that the tax disc is a waste of time, which I think most would disagree with.

[Snowboy]

Irish said:

Somnophore said:

It's doesn't prove insurance does it, I could buy some, put sticker on and cancel.

In Ireland they won't cancel until you send the disc back.

Same in Canada.
If you cancel you have to hand the number plates back before they give you a refund.

When you sell a car you normally go in with the new owner, hand over your old plates, get refunds on insurance and tax. Then the new owner gets new plates and insurance.


I also think that if the insurance is expired it’s a minor offence, but faking the number plates is a major offence.
So if the insurance expires and you have old tags you’ll get a fine and a bking, but if you fake the plates you end up in jail.

[thescamper]

Why not make the penalty for driving without insurance a bit more worthwhile,

Average Insurance cost £500, Average fine £200, chances of getting caught nearly nil, yippee £300 better off if I get caught and £500 quid a year if I don't.

[Kozy]

thescamper said:

Why not make the penalty for driving without insurance a bit more worthwhile,

Average Insurance cost £500, Average fine £200, chances of getting caught nearly nil, yippee £300 better off if I get caught and £500 quid a year if I don't.

6 point each time will quickly see you banned, and then jailed if you carry on..

[AJI]

Not sure how it works in other countries but is the UK alone in that insurance has to be applied to the car and also the driver?

So having a disc on the car would indicate the car is insured, but how would it indicate the driver is insured?

[jbi]

AJI said:

Not sure how it works in other countries but is the UK alone in that insurance has to be applied to the car and also the driver?

So having a disc on the car would indicate the car is insured, but how would it indicate the driver is insured?

I much prefer the "insure the car" system used in other countries.

far more flexible... especially if you need to loan your car to a family member to nip to the shops.

[Hugo a Gogo]

disc in window is worthless in the UK, as said, it doesn't tell you that the DRIVER is uninsured

how on earth do we manage in Germany with no discs at all in the window?

with an 'efficient' (compared to the DVLA) administration, and people having to be registered at their home addresses, drivers having to carry their licence, etc

[MX7]

AJI said:

Not sure how it works in other countries but is the UK alone in that insurance has to be applied to the car and also the driver?

So having a disc on the car would indicate the car is insured, but how would it indicate the driver is insured?

You'd know that the owner of the car has insurance, and I think it would be reasonable to expect the owner to be responsible that all drivers are covered by an insurance.