15/11/2013

Motorists will no longer need motor insurance policies to be checked when getting their vehicle taxed.  The changes come into force from 16th December and will also mean that motorists will only need to tell the DVLA once they declare their vehicle off road.

The changes to insurance checks have been made possible because the DVLA is able to check insurance records which are held centrally on the MID.

This underlines the importance of informing brokers and insurers of changes to motor policies and to ensure that the MID is accurate and kept up to date.

The wider initiative is the part of the Continuous Insurance Enforcement Scheme which was launched in June 2011 to tackle uninsured motorists.  Vehicles which appear to be uninsured are sent reminder letters.  Those who take no action receive a fixed penalty notice of £100 followed by other enforcement action.   For the offence of driving without insurance, the police can offer a fixed penalty of £200 plus 6 penalty points or a prosecution.

Since 2005 the police have the power to seize uninsured vehicles.  In 2011 they seized 140,000 vehicles.

Drivers and owners can check that their vehicle is insured on the Motor Insurance Database at: www.askMID.com