MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) is urging drivers to make sure their motor insurance is valid as it reveals the common mistakes which may be leaving thousands of people driving uninsured each day.   

MIB, which is a not-for-profit organisation that helps the police to identify uninsured vehicles through use of its Motor Insurance Database (MID) and Police Helpline, has found in 50% of its investigations, the cause of uninsured driving could be linked to entirely avoidable human errors.

As a result, MIB is highlighting these common pitfalls, to help more people avoid the serious consequences of driving without insurance.

How many people unwittingly drive without insurance?

In the past three months, MIB found that 30% of the uninsured drivers they looked into on behalf of the police, had no insurance because their policy had been cancelled, often due to payments being missed. A further 10% were uninsured as their policy had expired, and 9% had invalid motor insurance because they were not driving in accordance with the policy’s terms and conditions.

Consequently, two in every three of these drivers had their vehicle seized for no insurance.

Roads Policing access the MID (a live record of insured vehicles in the UK) to tackle uninsured driving. If a vehicle is not showing as insured, the Officer will make enquiries and if the driver disputes their insurance status, MIB Police Helpline Agents are on standby to investigate.

As MIB receives thousands of enquiries from police each month, this suggests countless people are unwittingly driving uninsured every day. It is hoped by raising awareness of this issue, more motorists will take greater care in staying on top of their cover.

Paul Farley, Law Enforcement Manager at MIB, said:

“Sadly, each day we find cases where someone has been stopped by the police for driving without insurance, and it appears they were unwittingly breaking the law due to human error. This is incredibly frustrating for everyone involved. Not only can this be a negative experience for the driver, but it also impacts police resources as they would prefer drivers to not make mistakes and be insured, so they can concentrate on motorists who intentionally drive without insurance and pose the greatest risk to road safety.”

Common mistakes that lead to uninsured driving

Policy expiration. If a driver neglects to take note of when their policy ends, or wrongly assumes that it will auto-renew, then it can lapse.

Policy cancelation. A policy can be cancelled by an insurer if payments have been missed. Often, this is because a payment method has not been updated and therefore paid. A policy can also be cancelled if a driver fails to respond to documentation requests from their insurer. 

Driving someone else’s car. Many drivers make the mistake of assuming fully-comp cover allows them to drive another person’s vehicle, but this is not often the case. It’s important to check with the insurer that the policy includes a Driving Other Vehicles (DOV) extension. Many motorists also wrongly assume that they are a named driver on another person’s policy.

Wrong class-of-use. A vehicle must be driven in accordance with its agreed purpose with the insurer, otherwise the driver will still be uninsured. For example, if a car is on a Social, Domestic & Pleasure (SDP) policy, but it is being used for business purposes, this is uninsured driving. 

Uninsured drivers can have their vehicle seized (and potentially crushed), receive a £300 fixed penalty notice and six licence points. Furthermore, they could face court and receive an unlimited fine and/or a driving ban. A driving conviction can also impact job prospects.

Because those who intentionally drive without insurance cause more collisions and are frequently linked to wider road crime such as hit-and-runs, MIB and police are unwavering in their efforts to tackle the issue. Last year 123,429 uninsured vehicles were seized (one every four minutes).

How can I stay on top of my motor insurance?

Drivers must understand the terms and conditions of their insurance policy, including anything that could invalidate or cancel the policy. They should contact their insurer if they have any questions relating to these specifics.

If anyone wants to see if their vehicle is appearing as insured on the MID to avoid being contacted by the police, they can check for free at www.askMID.com