It was at the end of 2005 when police gained powers to seize uninsured vehicles but only if they caught the driver at the wheel. Therefore if a vehicle was uninsured but found sat on a driveway, nothing could be done.
At present, when a vehicle is kept entirely off the road a statutory off the road notification (SORN) can be completed by the vehicle owner, absolving them from the responsibility of having to both tax and insure the vehicle. But in a newly unveiled Government initiative, as of March 2011 it will be necessary for all vehicles to be adequately insured whether or not they are used on the road, unless a SORN has been duly completed. In part, this crackdown hopes to curb the reckless behaviour of uninsured motorists who cause serious injury to others, leaving them able only to receive compensation for personal injury through the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB).
Established in 1946, the MIB aims to compensate victims for vehicle damage, personal injury and financial losses and expenses suffered as a result of negligent uninsured and untraced motorists. Shockingly, new reports from the MIB reveal that one tenth of all 18-34 year old drivers are unaware that car insurance is a legal requirement, with approximately 900,000 drivers under the age of 30 currently driving without insurance. Research also shows only 7% of drivers are aware of the consequences that will befall them if they are caught driving whilst uninsured.
Currently, an uninsured vehicle can be seized by the police and six penalty points can be given to the vehicle owner together with a £200 fine. But what can never be predicted is the extent of personal injury that can be caused as a result of negligent driving and the hardship involved with there being no insurer to turn to for compensation for the personal injury suffered be it minor or serious injury.
Each year 23,000 people endure personal injury as a result of uninsured drivers and an additional 160 suffer such serious injury as to result in death. This leaves a £5,000,000 personal injury costs bill that is paid for through insurance premiums of insured motorists.
By making it mandatory for even off the road vehicles to be insured, the Government hopes to not only reduce the number of MIB claims and the cost of the average motor insurance premium but to also reduce the rates of personal injury caused by road traffic collisions. This has to be welcomed given the serious injury that can be suffered.
Under the new system proposed, the MIB will work closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to identify uninsured vehicles. The owner of an uninsured vehicle will then be sent a formal letter of warning allowing them a period of time in which to obtain adequate insurance. If insurance is not obtained, the owner will be fined £100 and if the owner continues to fail to cooperate a further fine of up to £5,000 and 8 penalty points may be issued. Ultimately the vehicle may be seized and crushed.
With this latest Government proposal, the battle against uninsured motorists and their vehicles does appear to be gathering momentum. But whilst changes are being made, many are still falling victim to serious injury as a result of accidents caused by uninsured drivers causing not only heartache to the victim but placing a huge burden on the honest British motorist also.
The message is clear: be responsible. If you own a vehicle, insure it, for come March there will be even less excuse and far more punishment for not doing so.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")