Wednesday 11th August 2004

Insurance Crackdown

Stiffer penalties but how will uninsured drivers be caught?

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A package of measures to crack down on hundreds of thousands of uninsured motorists was announced today by Road Safety Minister David Jamieson.

The Government's new approach will target the estimated one million motorists on our roads driving without insurance.

Figures show that uninsured drivers are:

• 10 times more likely to have been convicted of drink driving
• 6 times more likely to have been convicted of driving an unsafe vehicle
• 3 times more likely to have been convicted of driving without due care and attention.

Accidents involving these motorists cost over £200 million a year, adding up to £30 a year to motor premiums of each law abiding motorist.

The Department for Transport plans to:

• Give the police the power to seize and, in appropriate cases, destroy vehicles that are being driven uninsured,
• Link the DVLA's Vehicle Register and the Motor Insurance Databases, allowing police to know which vehicles on the road are uninsured,

Also amongst the proposals are a fixed penalties for people who ignore reminders that their insurance has expired.

Jamieson commmented, "We are also working closely with the insurance industry to improve detection of drivers who fail to insure their vehicles and to raise awareness of the need for motor insurance. The message to the small hard core of anti social motorists who drive without insurance is clear- uninsured driving is unacceptable."

Caroline Flint, Home Office Minister added:

"We are also working closely with the police to ensure that the hugely successful Automatic Number Plate Recognition system is used as effectively as possible to target those who flout the law and drive without insurance."

Expext more cloned cars then...

[anniesdad]

I think this is great news, provided that the money following sale of seized uninsured vehicles is put back into public coffers. To be honest with the advent of modern technology and web based systems, i'm surprised that it has taken as long as it has for the Police to link up with insurers in the "war" against uninsured drivers. To further fight against potential fraudulent claims and uninsured drivers the MID should be opened up to the accident management industry as a whole. I know my company would welcome access to this facility and would gladly subscribe to this service.