Insurance?

[The GMan]

How do the registration readers work? Is there now a national database of every car insured or is it a check on your tax disc? Would be interested to hear about this?

[edc]

You can't get tax without your insurance or the relevant DVLA form. No tax, no ticked entry on database matching your reg, flagged up as no tax and car crushed.

[sp60]

This is a good idea. I'm assuming they give you a certain amount of time to sort out any problems. i.e. your car tax runs out and you forget about it, only to find on the day it runs out your car is crushed!!
That would be a trifle annoying!!

[The GMan]

edc said:

You can't get tax without your insurance or the relevant DVLA form. No tax, no ticked entry on database matching your reg, flagged up as no tax and car crushed.

So it is not that comprehensive of a system then.

Eg. You buy a car with TAX and don't insure it. How would this be checked unless you get pulled over, or would it be logged by DVLA as a new owner of the car so potentially no insurance?

Insurance disc on windscreen would be so much easier then all of this!

>> Edited by The GMan on Wednesday 25th June 14:30

[gro]

This may be true for No Tax, but I'm fairly sure the Insurance Database is populated by the insurance companies, and not as function of buying your tax disc. As you could have Insurance but no Tax.
One of our resident BiB should be able to confirm that, or tell me I'm talking rubbish..

[edc]

It would not be that 'hard' to run a database query of all in use reg numbers through the insurer's databases. All those without insurance could be flagged.

However, there are many cars without the appropriate paperwork and may be registered incorrectly.

[kevinday]

edc said:

It would not be that 'hard' to run a database query of all in use reg numbers through the insurer's databases. All those without insurance could be flagged. However, there are many cars without the appropriate paperwork and may be registered incorrectly.

Sorry, but yes it would be difficult, what about motor traders and fleet insurance policies? Individual cars may not be identified but are indeed insured.

[edc]

kevinday said:

edc said: It would not be that 'hard' to run a database query of all in use reg numbers through the insurer's databases. All those without insurance could be flagged. However, there are many cars without the appropriate paperwork and may be registered incorrectly. Sorry, but yes it would be difficult, what about motor traders and fleet insurance policies? Individual cars may not be identified but are indeed insured.

You could still run a database search cross-matching issued reg plates. As you point out, there are 'holes' in this method. It could identify many insured and taxed vehicles but another method would be needed to sift through the remainder.