Tag: MIB

Shocking levels of uninsured vehicle on UK roads

Data released by MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) shows that there is an average of 300,000 uninsured vehicles on UK roads every day. As vehicles may be uninsured for months at a time, the total number uninsured across the year is over 1 million.

According to a YouGov study commissioned by MIB, 10% of the British public are not aware that motor insurance is compulsory for any vehicle used on a public road. Uninsured driving remains a huge problem to society, causing devastation to innocent victims and their families, and has strong links to secondary offences from speeding and drink / drug driving to money laundering or drug running.

However, with motor insurance premiums consistently rising since the start of 2022 and a cost-of-living crisis putting pressure of household finances, there are concerns that uninsured levels may rise as otherwise law-abiding drivers struggle to make insurance payments.

MIB, the not-for-profit entity that exists to protect people from the devastation of uninsured and hit-and-run drivers, are raising awareness of the need for continuous and appropriate insurance to be in place for all vehicles. As part of MIB’s mission to make roads safer, they have recently invested a further £5million to update and expand their enforcement initiatives that remove uninsured vehicles from the road. They are also increasing focus on prevention through education. 

MIB are also encouraging all motorists to explore legal ways in which they can minimise any premium increases during their policy renewal. This may include:

  • Renewing early – Research suggests that premiums are likely to be at their lowest 20-26 days before your renewal is due. This alone could save you a considerable amount of money.
  • Black Box – consider a policy with a black box, as this reduces the risk to the insurer.
  • Shop around – use comparison sites, insurers own websites, or see if a BIBA-registered Broker can secure you a deal. You can also contact your current insurer too to see if they can reduce the cost. 
  • Combine policies – consider one provider for multiple insurance policies, such as multi-car or car and home insurance, as some offer discounts. 
  • Smaller vehicles – in some instances, a smaller, less powerful vehicle may be cheaper to insure.
  • Electoral roll – being on the electoral role can be part of the ID check to reduce fraud, lowering the risk to the insurer.

Martin Saunders, Head of Enforcement for MIB, said: “It’s really important to us to reduce the level of uninsured driving on the road. We know that times are tough for many people right now and increased cost-of-living pressures may cause more people to make the wrong decision to drive uninsured, but this is not the right way to save money.

“We are encouraging people to ensure their motor insurance is adequate and appropriate for their needs, whilst reminding them that they can look at ways to legally reduce their premiums. While we understand the challenges many are facing, our message is that driving uninsured is never worth the risk.”

Op Tutelege: National policing initiative encourages thousands of Scots to drive insured

  • Op Tutelage – a national policing initiative where drivers who appear to have no motor insurance are sent advisory letters – has encouraged over 150,000 motorists across the UK to drive insured since being introduced in January 2020.
  • In Scotland nearly 6,600 advisory letters have been issued. Police Scotland comments.
  • The initiative uses a nudge approach to positively influence decision making. Around 3 in 4 recipients have been successfully encouraged to make sure their vehicle becomes insured.
  • Op Tutelage helps roads policing focus resources on the remaining dangerous drivers who intentionally drive without insurance – making roads safer and fairer for all. 

Op Tutelage – a national policing initiative where police forces issue advisory letters to drivers that appear to have no motor insurance – has encouraged over 150,000 motorists across the UK to drive insured.

The initiative which is led by the NPCC’s National Roads Policing Operations, Intelligence and Investigation (NRPOII) and supported by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), was introduced in January 2020 to help reduce uninsured driving levels across the UK.

By using MIB’s Motor Insurance Database (MID) – a central record of all active motor insurance policies in the UK – police forces can quickly identify any vehicle that appears not to have insurance and send the registered keeper an advisory letter.

Results have been highly successful with 151,464 drivers correcting their insurance status to date following over 215,000 advisory letters issued thus far, which equates to around 3 in 4 people.

In Scotland alone 6,594 advisory letters have been issued so far.

Op Tutelage’s advisory letters were developed alongside Dr Helen Wells, a criminologist and roads policing expert from Keele University and Director of the Roads Policing Academic Network. By drawing on research into the use of nudges, behaviour change approaches and the concept of procedural justice, the letters encourage motorists to take corrective action and drive insured.

There are a range of reasons why someone’s vehicle might show as uninsured on the MID. Causes stem from the unintentional such as drivers not realising their policy has expired or admin errors, all the way through to those willing to break the law by intentionally driving without insurance.

By sending out advisory letters, police forces want to give a chance to those who may have not realised their vehicle was uninsured to correct this before heading out on the road. Roads policing officers are then more likely to stop motorists who intentionally drive without insurance, who are linked to a higher rate of collisions and additional road traffic offences.

With all the UK’s 45 police forces having now signed up to Op Tutelage, the results have continued to grow per month. August alone saw more than 10,000 drivers nationally go from uninsured to insured.

Chief Superintendent Louise Blakelock, Head of Road Policing at Police Scotland, said: “Op Tutelage is an effective way of reducing the number of uninsured vehicles on our roads. There are a number of reasons why a vehicle may show on the Motor Insurance Database as holding no insurance and Op Tutelage provides an opportunity for registered keepers to take action as necessary.

“Police Scotland is committed to keeping the roads safe and this operation allows our officers to take action against those who deliberately break the law and put other road users in danger.”

Ben Fletcher, Chief Customer Officer at MIB, said: “Op Tutelage is delivering outstanding results. By utilising MID data and behavioural change approaches, we can encourage most drivers who are not correctly insured to positively act.

“This means roads policing can focus more of their resources on the minority of motorists who deliberately break the law and put road users at greater risk.

“With traffic returning to pre-pandemic levels the last thing anyone needs is to be impacted by uninsured motorists. I’m very pleased to say that Op Tutelage is helping to make roads safer and fairer for everyone. I look forward to seeing the great results of MIB’s partnership with NRPOII as we continue to drive down uninsured driving levels.”

Dr Helen Wells, Criminologist at Keele University and Director of the Roads Policing Academic Network, said: “Some people who drive without insurance do so by mistake, but others do it on purpose, and Op Tutelage helps the police focus their resources on those drivers that really need taking off the road.

Feedback shows that the public think this is a fair and legitimate way to police the roads and that the police value the extra intelligence it gives them.”

Alongside Op Tutelage, MIB works with police on a range of initiatives to tackle uninsured driving.

Roads police can access the MID to check if a vehicle appears to be uninsured. If disputed by the driver, the officer can contact MIB’s Police Helpline whose Agents liaise with insurers in real-time to confirm if valid insurance exists.

Driving without insurance can result in a £300 fixed penalty notice, six licence points and the driver’s vehicle can be seized and crushed. In addition, uninsured drivers can face court where they could receive an unlimited fine and a driving ban.

Over 148,000 vehicles were seized for no insurance across the UK in 2020, at a rate of one every four minutes.

MIB is encouraging motorists to check that their vehicle is showing as insured on the MID which can be done for free at www.askMID.co.uk

New drivers urged to avoid car insurance scams on social media

  • The IFB is warning new drivers to watch out for a rising scam known as ‘Ghost Broking’ which involves bogus car insurance deals being sold on social media, as it could cost them their first car. 
  • The warning comes as hundreds of thousands of learners get set to pass their driving tests as they catch up from the disruption caused by Covid-19.
  • The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) also provides comment.
  • Statistics and campaign content can be found in the notes to newsroom. 

The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) is urging new drivers to watch out for bogus car insurance deals being promoted on social media, as hundreds of thousands of learners* get set to pass their tests following a year of disruption caused by Covid-19.

Fake car insurance sales known as ‘Ghost Broking’ is a growing scam which involves fraudsters pretending to be Insurance Brokers in order to sell unrealistically cheap and completely fake policies, often to younger drivers via Facebook and Instagram.

With a large influx of new drivers on the horizon following confirmation from the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) that driving test centres face an unprecedented challenge to reduce waiting times left by the pandemic, the IFB is warning new motorists to be vigilant to bogus car insurance deals on social media as it could cost them their first car.

Stephen Dalton, Head of Intelligence and Investigations at the IFB, said: “The last thing new drivers need right now is to risk losing their car for no insurance because they’ve been duped by a scammer on social media.

“Drivers must carry out basic checks to make sure they’re buying car insurance through a trusted provider, or they’ll be making a very expensive mistake.

“I encourage anyone who’s seen evidence of an insurance scam to report it to the IFB’s confidential Cheatline online or on 0800 422 0421.” 

Mark Magee, Head of Driver Policy at the DVSA, said: “DVSA’s priority is to help everyone through a lifetime of safe driving.

“As well as ensuring you have the skills, knowledge and understanding attitude to drive safely, having valid insurance is of the utmost importance when you drive on your own.

“Check to make sure insurance brokers are genuine before parting with your money.”

Learner drivers in a driving school are typically covered by their instructor’s insurance policy, until they pass their test and need to take out motor insurance for their first car. With a rush of new drivers approaching and with so many people facing financial hardship, the IFB is concerned it will provide fertile ground for ‘Ghost Broker’ scammers.

Fraudsters often tempt younger people with their bogus car insurance deals by promoting unrealistically cheap prices up front, despite the fact insurance is meant to be priced based on the risk of the individual. They often then encourage contact with them through popular end-to-end encrypted messaging software such as WhatsApp.

The IFB which is a not-for-profit organisation that works with the police to crackdown on organised insurance scams has seen its investigations into ‘Ghost Broking’ double since 2016, and the scam has remained prevalent throughout the pandemic.

IFB investigations have found cash-strapped young drivers forking out hundreds of pounds for car insurance that in reality is worth no more than a photoshopped piece of paper. In some cases scammers also use stolen personal information to take out policies which are then doctored before being sold on to customers.   

Driving without valid insurance is easily detected by police. Uninsured drivers can have their vehicle instantly seized and are likely to receive six licence points. They can also face court where they might receive an unlimited fine and a driving ban. Furthermore, an uninsured driving conviction will show on records and can affect job prospects.

If a collision is caused by the uninsured driver they may also be liable for covering the costs which can run into the thousands.   

Avoiding fake car insurance deals

New drivers are urged to avoid deals on social media or messaging apps and to only purchase car insurance through reputable sellers.

Anyone with evidence of an insurance scam can contact the IFB’s Cheatline which is quick, easy and confidential to use.

The Cheatline can be contacted online or via phoneline (powered by Crimestoppers) on 0800 422 0421.

Police launch national campaign to protect road users from uninsured drivers

  • Roads policing units are launching Op Drive Insured from today (26 October) to 1 November, which will see enhanced enforcement activity to reduce the level of uninsured vehicles on UK roads.
  • Uninsured and untraced drivers cause nearly one in every five road traffic collisions and push up insurance costs for law-abiding motorists.
  • MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) which compensates victims of uninsured drivers has seen claims fall 26% since 2016, however there are concerns the economic impact of Covid-19 could cause more people to risk driving without insurance.
  • Every four minutes in the UK an uninsured vehicle is seized.

From today until 1st November, all of the UK’s 43 police forces are set to engage in a national effort to help reduce uninsured driving levels.

 ‘Operation Drive Insured’ – a week-long campaign developed by MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) in partnership with the National Roads Policing Operations, Intelligence and Investigation (NRPOII) committee – will see increased roads policing activity to detect and seize uninsured vehicles across regions.  

Each year in the UK over 130 people are killed and 26,000 are left injured in collisions caused by uninsured and untraced drivers, linking to nearly one in every five road traffic collisions.

Evidence also shows drivers without insurance are more likely to commit a ‘hit and run’ and be involved in other crimes, be it using a stolen vehicle, driving while disqualified or substance abuse.

MIB, which is funded by insurers and ultimately consumers to provide financial support to victims of uninsured and untraced collisions, paid out £322 million in compensation in 2019.

Whilst figures from the Department for Transport indicate these collisions cost the economy a further £2 billion a year in emergency services, medical care, loss of productivity and property damage.

The number of claims for compensation from victims of uninsured drivers have fallen 26% since 2016. However, with so many people suffering financial hardship due to the disruption of Covid-19, there are growing concerns that this could result in more people breaking the law and driving without insurance.

Anna Fleming, Chief Operating Officer at MIB, said: “We’ve made great strides in getting more people to drive insured in recent years, but the sad reality is with Covid-19 putting so many people under financial strain, uninsured driving levels could creep up.

“Everyone suffers the consequences of uninsured driving. We’re fully committed to our partnership with the police so we can get as many people as possible to drive insured to make roads safer and fairer for everyone.”

Commander Kyle Gordon, Head of NRPOII, said: “Many people will see uninsured driving as a victimless crime at best, or as only impacting on the profits of large insurance companies at worst. This is not the case. 

“We know from our work in roads policing that uninsured drivers are statistically significantly more likely to cause a death or injury on the road, which too often sadly brings devastation to victims, families and communities up and down the country. They are also frequently involved in wider road crime.

“Protecting the public and keeping our roads safe for everyone is our priority and removing uninsured drivers from our roads helps to do just that. This is why all police forces are acting to take uninsured drivers off the road every single day.”

Last year 137,410 vehicles were seized for no insurance which equated to one seizure every four minutes.

Police can access the Motor Insurance Database (MID) which is a central record of all live motor insurance policies, to quickly spot if a vehicle appears to be uninsured. If disputed by the driver, MIB can quickly liaise with insurers to confirm if valid insurance exists.

Drivers without insurance face their vehicle being seized and potentially crushed, along with a £300 fixed penalty notice and six licence points.

They can also be referred to court and face an unlimited fine and a driving ban. Uninsured convictions also show on basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks which can impact employment prospects.

To check if a vehicle is showing as insured on the MID, drivers can look for free at www.askmid.com.

Tips on finding more affordable car insurance

There are several things drivers can do to help find more affordable car insurance deals. According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), this includes:

  • Choosing a less powerful vehicle.
  • Getting a ‘black box’ or ‘telematics’ to help demonstrate how safe the driver is.
  • Driving more safely to avoid collisions, prevent penalty points and protect a ‘No Claims Discount’ (NCD).
  • Using price comparison sites or a BIBA-registered Broker to find a good deal.
  • Limiting the car’s use and reducing annual mileage.
  • Protecting a car from theft such as by using an alarm or immobiliser and keeping it in a garage.
  • Paying an insurance premium up-front.
  • Considering a higher excess (the cost paid in excess of what an insurer pays if a claim is made).
  • Complying with legal requirements by being honest to an insurer about changes to the use and condition of a vehicle.