New Tool in the fight against uninsured driving
Over 78,000 vehicles were seized by the Police during 2006 for no insurance of which 40% were subsequently crushed or sold.
There are currently around 34 million vehicles on the roads in the UK.
Uninsured driving costs the honest motorist an additional £30 per year on their premiums and something in excess of £500 million in total every year in claims.
Uninsured drivers are 10 times more likely to have a drink driving conviction, 6 times more likely to be driving an unsafe vehicle and 4 times more like to have a driving without due care and attention conviction.
160 deaths on our roads each year are as a result of uninsured driving.
To support the Police and to reassure the public that checks are in place to prevent accidental seizures MIB launched a dedicated Police Helpline to assist the Police with difficult roadside situations where there may be doubt over the validity of insurance cover for a suspect vehicle.
Ashton West the Group CEO of MIB says,
“When traffic police pull over a vehicle that does not appear on the Motor Insurance Database (MID), there can be occasions where the driver claims to be insured. In these circumstances the Police Helpline can provide the officer with a definitive answer in the majority of cases by undertaking additional investigations beyond making a MID enquiry. Those who drive without insurance are reckless and selfish in the extreme and they are putting the lives of innocent road users at risk. MIB works closely with the Police at reducing uninsured driving.”
The following forces have now joined the MIB Police Helpline:
Lancashire, Cumbria, Northumbria, West Midlands, Sussex, Surrey, Humberside, Wiltshire, North Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.
The total number of forces using the Police Helpline is now 29, with the remainder joining by the end of October 2007.
Frank Whiteley, Chief Constable of Hertfordshire and the ACPO Lead on the ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) project says,
“The MIB Police Helpline has been designed to make the process of identifying uninsured drivers quick and accurate. A phone call to the Police Helpline can save protracted negotiations at the roadside and/or the embarrassment of seizing a vehicle unnecessarily.”
MIB is committed to helping the Police to stamp out uninsured driving and the Police Helpline is designed to ensure all checks are made before a vehicle is seized.
Ends
For more information, please contact:
Quay2Media on: 0191 2966800
or email: antonia@quay2media.com
christian@quay2media.com
Notes
1. Forces now using MIB Police Helpline are: South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Merseyside, MET, Cambridgeshire, Dorset, Lincolnshire, North Wales, Gloucestershire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Thames Valley, Greater Manchester, Leicestershire, City of London, Hampshire, Essex, Kent, Lancashire, Lothian & Borders, Cumbria, Northumbria, West Midlands, Surrey, Sussex, Humberside, Wiltshire, North Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire
2. Northumbria Police will commence using the MIB Police Helpline after successful roll out of enforcement powers under Section 165 of the RTA, which includes the power to seize a vehicle at the roadside if the officer suspects a vehicle is not insured
3. Supportive materials are sent to each force as they join the Police Helpline. To obtain you copy of the pdf image of the briefing sheet that is sent to all forces please contact Quay2Media listed below
4. 25.4 million enquiries were made on the MID by the Police during 2006, exceeding the target of 15.2 million by 67%
5. Members of the public are advised to contact their insurer or broker if they are in any doubt whether their vehicle is on the MID
6. The Motor Insurers’ Bureau compensates the victims of road accidents caused by uninsured and untraced motorists
7. The MIB also operates the Motor Insurance Database, which contains details of all insured vehicles in the country
For more information please visit www.mib.org.uk.
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