strict new car insurance rules starts today

[caminito]

Tough new laws have come into force today designed to crack down on drivers without insurance.

The new legislation rules that anyone with an uninsured vehicle must either declare their car as off the road or arrange a new policy.

Once the DVLA gets wind of an offending vehicle, the owner will be sent a warning letter telling them to take action.

The penalty for further ignorance is a £100 fine, followed by the possibility of having it clamped, seized or destroyed. Additional fines of up to £1,000 can also be implemented.

Harsh though it may sound, the new law simply requires drivers to keep up-to-date with their paperwork. All that's needed to avoid grief from the Government is a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).

It's estimated that 1.4 million motorists are driving without insurance in the UK, which adds around £30 a year to the average individual's car insurance policy.

Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said: "Anyone who receives a warning letter should take action immediately by getting insurance or contacting the DVLA to declare their vehicle off the road."

Director of policy and research for the Institute of Advanced Motorists, Neil Greig, added: "Law-abiding drivers have nothing to fear from this move, but it is important that they ensure their paperwork is up-to-date. This move should release police time to catch the minority who completely ignore the system - and literally fail to appear on it.

"We would still like to see more investment in automatic number plate recognition cameras to catch those who continue to flaunt the law."

[cheddar-caveman]

Great idea but as usual, who is going to police it? The DVLA seem to be in a right mess and there are thousands of vehicles out there that are not on their data base and it's these that are the main problem. Yes, if you're fully registered etc then you can be checked up on but the way it is at the moment this will make little difference. Rather like the "no phones" ban. Every day you see loads of people on their phones because there's nobody to catch them.

Good idea but not enforceable

[Chrisjay]

The DVLA seem to be in a right mess and there are thousands of vehicles out there that are not on their data base and it's these that are the main problem.

Ahh the DVLA I at the end of March taxed my car at the local post office (I like to support them wherever possible) and left my log book with them for the change of address.  After a month I called and asked where it was, DVLA told me they had not received it and to write in with the form to get a replacement, then nothing.

Then I had a letter forwarded that had gone to an address in Norfolk who had returned it not at this address and then DVLA had put the whole letter in an envelope and posted it here.  The letter said someone was trying to register my car in their name and if I objected to phone them.

Phoned them, got no explanation as to why the letter had been sent to Norfolk, didn't know, but would get my log book out to me, still waiting!

Now as I have a personal registration number it is unlikely they mixed it up so I called the address in Norfolk to find they bought a new car on the day I taxed mine and we think they mixed up the application forms for the registrations ahhhh

[cheddar-caveman]

A "personal" number plate? Just who are we dealing with here? MI5? SAS? Cameron aid? The mind boggles with anticipation

[Chrisjay]

It was bought for me as a present by my son as my Birthday present about 15 years ago for £350 and is now worth more than my present car sorry to disappoint you (I did not know MI5 or the SAS had personal plates) 

[cheddar-caveman]

Of course, SA55Y and MI5SY??? But what's yours, I'll look out for you?

[Chrisjay]

Oh yes I see I will PM you mine if you really want it but as I drive a big American 4 x 4 import and I have never seen another although there are a few others in the country you can't miss me 

[cheddar-caveman]

Blimey! beware coming down here and our cute country roads in one of those. Even a Ford pickup struggles! No, don't bother with the NP, I was only joking. Mine should be M1KE or MJ0D or similar but never found one yet!

[caminito]

you can't miss me  !

Crikey ,I hope that you can miss us when you're driving your tank 

[Chrisjay]

We got mine (and my son bought himself one) directly from the DVLA web site when they used to release batches at a time and he had been looking for a while you used to put in what you would like i.e. M1KE and see what combinations came up I don't know if they still do that now

[Chrisjay]

you can't miss me  !

Crikey ,I hope that you can miss us when you're driving your tank 

I drove a big motor home down there a couple of years ago - granted did get into a scrape which cost £4,000 to repair - but otherwise had no problem 

[caminito]

Yes ,I heard that they have now rebuilt the bridge
 

[Chrisjay]

Actually it was a very high wall that scraped all the side of the van as I had gone close to the wall to miss a stupid women oncoming cutting the corner and there was a rain gully which although I was away from the wall the dip in the road caused the top to lean and catch me AND she did not stop

[curly72]

I thought we already had a law to this effect anyway.

[tgirls44]

Hi everyone...just read the post telling us that the new ruling on car insurance has just( well last month) started...Well i for one am very pleased to hear at last something is being done.  my husband was hit by an uninsured driver who gave a wrong name and address and then just cleared off...no need to say who lost out as we lost our no claim and insurance went up....police found the person but that did not help us .So any change is better than none at all.........Hey you are dead right about drivers and mobile phones see it all the time here in London ...there is never police about also now days it seems the indicator is in decline no one seems to use it......Happy Motering.....