The new Motor Insurance Database (MIB) is expected to slow the rate of growth in motor insurance premiums significantly by helping the police catch more uninsured motorists, according to the Motor Insurers' Information Centre (MIIC).
"Motor insurance premiums have been rising faster than the inflation rate due to increases in the amounts claimed and increases in claims frequency," said the MIIC's programme sponsor, Raymond Ellis. "The MID will slow the rate of premium increases as more uninsured drivers are caught and the attitude towards being uninsured changes."
Ellis said also the MID would speed up the claims handling process because insurers will be able to identify third-party insurers immediately. "It's also going to squash the time taken by the MIB to pay out compensation claims," he said.
The MID, officially launched today, is a central database that contains the insurance details of every motorist. It is the result of extensive collaboration between the UK's motor insurers to supply the policy details of their customers and to unify their IT systems to keep the database updated.
The police will be able to access the database every time they make vehicle checks, using handheld computers, to catch uninsured drivers on the spot. Each vehicle's registration number will be used to call up its insurance details.
"The police service carries out 25 million vehicle checks each year. The MID will be of great value to t
