Tag: vehicle insurance

Police forces launch national week of action to stop uninsured drivers

  • 45 police forces launch Op Drive Insured on 15-21 November, in a national week of increased roads policing activity to seize uninsured vehicles and protect road users.
  • Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is injured by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver. Over 26,000 victims were supported by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) in 2020.
  • Drivers can check their vehicle appears insured on police systems for free at www.askmid.com

On 15-21 November 2021, all 45 UK police forces will execute Op Drive Insured in a national effort to reduce uninsured driving levels and protect road users.

The week-long campaign which has been developed by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) and NPCC’s National Roads Policing Operations, Intelligence and Investigations (NRPOII), will see an increase in roads policing activity to detect and seize uninsured vehicles.

MIB which is a not-for-profit organisation that compensates victims of uninsured and hit-and-run drivers, supported over 26,000 injured victims in 2020 – equating to one injury every 20 minutes.

In addition to causing more collisions, MIB records show uninsured drivers often commit wider road crime ranging from ‘hit and runs’, using a stolen vehicle and drink driving.

Ben Fletcher, Chief Customer Officer at MIB, said: “Put simply, uninsured motorists are very dangerous. They cause a worryingly high level of collisions and are frequently involved in wider crime.

“By using MIB’s Motor Insurance Database police can easily see if a vehicle appears to have no insurance and will take swift action to remove the threat. Op Drive Insured serves as an important reminder that no one is above the law and illegal motorists will be caught.”

Jo Shiner, Chief Constable at Sussex Police and NPCC Lead for Roads Policing, said: “Police officers take action against the users of uninsured vehicles every day, this national week of action really highlights how we work with all of our partners to take these vehicles off the road and prosecute offenders.

“We know those who are unwilling to insure their vehicles present more risk to other road users than those who do insure their vehicles. 

“We have sophisticated systems to help identify offenders and we will use all of our powers to take appropriate action against offenders and make our roads safer.”

Uninsured driving is a problem that exists across all corners of the UK, with the worst-affected areas found in Birmingham, Bradford, Manchester and Greater London.

MIB which is funded by insurers and ultimately their honest premium-paying customers, requires around £400 million each year to compensate victims and help them rebuild their lives.

Furthermore, using government figures on the average value of prevention, MIB estimates that collisions caused by uninsured and hit-and-run drivers could cost the economy nearly £2 billion a year in emergency services, medical care, loss of productivity and property damage.

During the week of action, Police Officers will access MIB’s Motor Insurance Database (MID) – a central record of live UK motor insurance policies – to see if motorists’ licence plates show their vehicle as insured.

If the validity of insurance is disputed by the driver, MIB will liaise in real-time with the insurer in question to confirm if the vehicle has valid insurance.

Uninsured drivers will likely have their vehicle seized (and potentially crushed), receive a £300 fixed penalty notice and six licence points. Furthermore, uninsured motorists could face court and receive an unlimited fine and/or a driving ban. A criminal record can also affect job prospects.

So far this year, over 100,000 uninsured drivers have had their vehicle seized.

Driving insured? Be confident with MIB’s quick guide

Do ✓Don’t ✖
Do check that your vehicle is appearing as insured on the Motor Insurance Database (MID) for free at www.askMID.comDon’t withhold key information when buying insurance to save money. This is fraud – the consequences are serious, and it will invalidate the insurance policy.  
Do only use your vehicle for the agreed purposes of its insurance cover. If unsure what your policy covers, speak to your insurer. Don’t buy car insurance on social media, or through an unfamiliar source. It’s probably a fake car insurance scam called Ghost Broking.
Do find out when your policy expires and if it auto-renews, so you can ensure it doesn’t run out without your knowledge.Don’t use a personal E-scooter on public roads and spaces. Only local authority-operated trial E-scooters are covered for third party use.

UK Government announces plan to scrap EU motor insurance law

Controversial EU Vnuk motor insurance law may be removed from British law

  • government plans to bin the EU’s ‘Vnuk’ motor insurance law – which requires insurance even on private land for a wider range of ‘vehicles’, including ride-on lawnmowers and mobility scooters
  • move will ensure every British driver is spared an estimated £50 annual increase in insurance premiums
  • decision to scrap Vnuk from British law would reiterate benefits of leaving the EU, as we take back control of our own laws and regulations

British drivers will avoid an estimated £50 a year increase in motor insurance costs as the government confirms it plans to do away with the controversial EU ‘Vnuk’ law, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced today (21 February 2021).

The Vnuk law requires a wider range of vehicles than those such as cars and motorbikes to be insured, including ones previously not requiring insurance, such as golf buggies, mobility scooters and quad bikes.

The law also extends to vehicles on private land, meaning people with a ride-on lawnmower at home would require insurance where it would have previously not been needed.

Had the EU law been implemented in Great Britain, it would have meant the insurance industry would have been liable for almost £2 billion in extra overall costs. These costs would likely have been passed onto their customers – British road-users.

Now we have left the EU, the measures no longer need to be implemented, helping road-users across the country steer clear of increased premiums – a clear win for motorists in Britain.

Read the Government Actuary Department research about the Vnuk decision and its effect on domestic motor insurance.

Bypassing Vnuk will also protect the existence of the UK’s motorsports industry.

The EU rules would have meant any motorsports collision involving vehicles from go-karting to F1 would have been treated as regular road traffic incidents requiring insurance. This could have decimated the industry due to the additional insurance costs of roughly £458 million every single year.

Scrapping the rules will save the industry from potential collapse and secure hundreds of thousands of jobs in the sector in the process.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We have always disagreed with this over-the-top law that would only do one thing – hit the pockets of hard-working people up and down the country with an unnecessary hike in their car insurance. I am delighted to announce that we no longer need to implement it.

“Scrapping this rule would save the country billions of pounds and is part of a new and prosperous future for the UK outside the EU – a future in which we set our own rules and regulations.”

As well as the likely financial burden on British road-users, the Vnuk rules are considered unnecessary as there are already insurance packages available to Britons that cover certain risks on private land.

The UK officially left the EU on 31 January 2020, with the formal transition period coming to an end on 31 December 2020, after the ratification of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.