Motorists urged to renew insurance policies

Motorists are being urged to renew their vehicle insurance policies the moment they become due.

January 1st 2008 sees the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) introduce a requirement that details on the Motor Insurance Database (MID) should be registered within seven days, rather than the fortnight allowed currently.

The MID is used by police number plate recognition software to check for uninsured vehicles using the roads.

John Close, the insurer relations director at AA Insurance, explains: "If a checked vehicle is not on the database, the equipments alerts police who can then stop it.

"If the driver cannot prove that he or she is covered, the car could be confiscated."

The MIB has instigated this measure to crackdown on the one in 20 drivers who is deliberately avoiding paying motor insurance premiums.

Uninsured drivers are a dangerous and expensive threat to the law-abiding majority, especially caravan owners who potentially have a lot more to lose in an accident.

29/10/2007 09:54:25