Association says new scheme must be implemented to save lives

The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) has today welcomed the launch of a consultation by the Department for Transport (DfT) into a new scheme of Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) of statutory motor insurance.

The new measures should see the DVLA vehicle keeper database and the motor insurance database (MID) join forces to systematically compare the records in order to identify and tackle uninsured drivers.

Uninsured and untraced drivers are responsible for 160 deaths and 23,000 injuries every year. Over £400 million of costs are created by uninsured drivers and paid for by a levy of around £30 on every lawful motorist. The UK has one of the worst uninsured driving records in Europe.

Graeme Trudgill, BIBA technical and corporate affairs executive, said: “It is vital that the proposed new measures, making it an offence to keep an uninsured vehicle, are implemented swiftly and with the full force of the law so that it can cut straight to the centre of the UK’s lawless uninsured drivers.

“This new enforcement scheme should systematically identify and fine the offenders and they will then have the option of insuring legally or face having their vehicle seized and destroyed. There should be no escape.

“BIBA urge’s everyone in the motoring community to support the process outlined in this consultation document to establish this new scheme which should lead to fairer premiums and safer roads.”

BIBA, through its work with the DFT and Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) has campaigned for more than five years for reform to introduce this key weapon to tackle uninsured driving.