Uninsured Vehicles

[Elton]

I have a car on an SORN (Statutory Off Road Notice). It sits on a private drive. Taking this Department For Transport press release at face value, I'm supposed to insure it

 

Uninsured drivers left with nowhere to hide by new crackdown

 

Tough new powers to tackle the selfish minority of uninsured drivers who cost law-abiding motorists £400m each year were set out by Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick today.

 

The new measures will make it an offence to keep an uninsured vehicle - rather than just to drive when uninsured - making it easier to catch uninsured drivers and keep them off the roads.

 

Jim Fitzpatrick said:

 

"The selfish minority of drivers who refuse to insure their cars push up premiums for other motorists and kill or injure thousands of people each year.

 

"Increased police powers already mean more than 400 uninsured vehicles are seized every day but these tough new measures will leave uninsured drivers with nowhere to hide."

 

Under the new system:

 

- The DVLA will work in partnership with the insurance industry to identify uninsured vehicles

 

- Motorists will receive a letter telling them that their vehicle appears to be uninsured and warning them that they will be fined unless they insure it within a set period

 

- If the keeper fails to insure the vehicle they will be given a £100 fine

 

- If the vehicle remains uninsured - regardless of whether the fine is paid - it could then be seized and destroyed.

 

Uninsured driving adds around £30 a year to every motorist's insurance premium - amounting to more than £400m a year in additional premiums. It is also estimated that uninsured and untraced drivers kill 160 people and injure 23,000 every year.

 

The Government has already given the police powers to seize and destroy vehicles being driven uninsured, along with improved access to the Motor Insurance Database to enhance their capability to detect uninsured driving by using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) equipment. Police removed around 150,000 vehicles in 2007 - more than 400 a day.

 

Last year a new offence of causing death by driving while unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured was introduced.

 

Notes to Editors

 

1. Latest estimates are that around 6.5% (around 2 million) of GB motorists drive uninsured. The penalty for driving without insurance is a maximum fine of £5,000 and 6-8 penalty points. Around 300,000 offenders are convicted for uninsured driving every year.

 

2. Measures already introduced in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 gave police improved access to the Motor Insurers Bureau database and powers to seize vehicles. In 2007 around 150,000 vehicles were seized.

 

3. The Road Safety Act 2006 provided the primary powers for a new offence of being the keeper of a vehicle which does not meet insurance requirements. Further secondary legislation is required to bring these provisions into force.

 

4. The public consultation published today sets out details of how we propose the offence would be enforced. The consultation runs until 16 April 2009 and copies are available on the DfT website.

 

5. Under the new offence, vehicle keepers who do not take out motor insurance in spite of warnings will be sent a fixed penalty notice and fine. If they fail to take action they may also face court prosecution, and/or their vehicle being clamped, impounded and ultimately disposed of.

[Elton]

Ah, it would seem that it's just their press officer who wants sacking, not the whole Government:

 

http://www.rac.co.uk/web/know-how/motoring...topic=INSURANCE

[chesters1]

theres mutterings in the classic car circles as well and no doupt the motorhome circles too both can have seasonal insurance or limited mileage restraints

[barry luxton]

It just leads to dangerous ambiguity, why cant they just say, you cannot drive or keep an unisured vehicle on the road. End of.

[merlino bill]

It just leads to dangerous ambiguity, why cant they just say, you cannot drive or keep an unisured vehicle on the road. End of.

[/quote

 

OI OI,

Because that would be to bloody easy. my brother sold me his car that was s.o.r.n. but when I redgisterd it he was fined £50.00 for not informing them, whats that all about.

[Elton]

my brother sold me his car that was s.o.r.n. but when I redgisterd it he was fined £50.00 for not informing them, whats that all about.

 

It's all about tax, Bill. Every single one of these schemes is about tax. If you don't tax a lump of metal on your drive yourself, they'll try to think of some way of taxing you for it!

[Worms]

It's all about tax, Bill. Every single one of these schemes is about tax. If you don't tax a lump of metal on your drive yourself, they'll try to think of some way of taxing you for it!

A couple of years ago I tried to insure a vintage (1925) motorcycle. Now this vehicle has not been used since 1948, belonged to my father and is in need of a total restoration. The 'bike could not even be pushed let alone ridden. The 'bike is unusual and one of only two of that year and model known to exist, the other being half a bike in New Zealand.

 

I put the 'bike in my garage and spoke to an insurance company about insuring it in case of theft, fire etc. The insurance company, quite rightly wanted to know engine number, frame number and capacity details etc. Now at some point, probably back in the 1970's when the old buff log books were changed for the V5, somebody (my father I suppose) had inadvertantly entered the capacity as 550cc not the correct 500cc.

 

I contacted DVLA and told them of the error and also requested a SORN. The response?

 

Don't need a SORN because it was off the road when the SORN was introduced

 

Can't change the capacity because the vehicle doesn't have an MOT!?!?!?

 

Result, can't insure the vehicle (details not accurate) until it is fully restored and MOT'd!

 

Why oh why did I have to be honest with them all?

[corydoras]

A couple of years ago I tried to insure a vintage (1925) motorcycle. Now this vehicle has not been used since 1948, belonged to my father and is in need of a total restoration. The 'bike could not even be pushed let alone ridden. The 'bike is unusual and one of only two of that year and model known to exist, the other being half a bike in New Zealand.

 

I put the 'bike in my garage and spoke to an insurance company about insuring it in case of theft, fire etc. The insurance company, quite rightly wanted to know engine number, frame number and capacity details etc. Now at some point, probably back in the 1970's when the old buff log books were changed for the V5, somebody (my father I suppose) had inadvertantly entered the capacity as 550cc not the correct 500cc.

 

I contacted DVLA and told them of the error and also requested a SORN. The response?

 

Don't need a SORN because it was off the road when the SORN was introduced

 

Can't change the capacity because the vehicle doesn't have an MOT!?!?!?

 

Result, can't insure the vehicle (details not accurate) until it is fully restored and MOT'd!

 

Why oh why did I have to be honest with them all?

If it's in a locked garage your household contents might cover it. Ask you insurance company. My mate has a Harley in his living room as an 'ornament' and I think his is covered that way. I'll be seeing him tomorrow night, I'll ask him then.

[Worms]

If it's in a locked garage your household contents might cover it. Ask you insurance company. My mate has a Harley in his living room as an 'ornament' and I think his is covered that way. I'll be seeing him tomorrow night, I'll ask him then.

I'd thought of that one but unfortunately my household policy, although covering me for the garage covers everything but vehicles!

[jeepster]

If a vehicle is SORN'd then it doesn't need to be insured, simple as that, there was someone from the DVLA on the radio earlier