Continuous Insurance Enforcement It has always been an offence to ‘use’ an uninsured vehicle, but the government is tightening up the rules by introducing a Continuous Insurance Enforcement Scheme, which makes it an offence to ‘keep’ a vehicle without insurance, unless you have submitted a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) to the DVLA.
The Police already have wide powers to stop vehicles and inspect certificates, which leads to the seizure of about 500 uninsured vehicles every day, but the legislation adds to these powers. So if you usually put your car away for the winter, or if it’s off-road and on private land for some other reason, make sure you submit a SORN. Where a vehicle isn’t used on a road or other public place, there’s no requirement to buy insurance cover for ‘on road risk’ as long as a SORN declaration has been made.
Under the Continuous Insurance Enforcement Scheme, the DVLA will be working closely with motor insurers to reduce the number of uninsured drivers. The DVLA will compare its database against details held on the Motor Insurers’ Database (MID), to identify uninsured vehicles. Once identified, a letter will be sent to the registered keeper of the vehicle, and if the keeper decides not to take any action, they face a fixed penalty fine, court prosecution and having the vehicle clamped, seized or destroyed.
As a result, it is vital that the MID holds your correct registration number because if it is held incorrectly, you are at risk of having your vehicle seized by the Police. If you choose to insure with Saga, we will make sure the MID is updated properly for you, but you can check that your correct registration number details are shown on the MID at any time by visiting www.askmid.com
More information can be found at www.direct.gov.uk/stayinsured