A new clampdown on uninsured drivers will make them easier to find, writes Teresa Hunter
ONE in 10 cars is being driven by an uninsured driver, according to the Government, putting the number on the road without cover at more than two million.
The Government is committed to major new steps to clamp down on rogue motorists and tackle
uninsured driving. It plans to open up the DVLA register to the insurance enforcing agencies. This will make it easy to spot who has a car that is not insured.
It is a criminal offence in the UK to drive without third-party cover, which will compensate others should you have an accident and injure an innocent party.
As premiums have soared, particularly for young drivers, so have the numbers driving illegally without protection. And the courts haven't helped. If a motorist is prosecuted for driving without insurance, he or she may escape with a fine of little more than £100, while paying for cover might set them back more than £1,000.
However, the Government is poised to get tough by introducing measures to force all registered keepers of a vehicle to prove they have insurance, as outlined in the 2006 Road Safety Act. Jim Fitzpatrick MP last week announced that the Department for Transport would shortly begin consulting on regulations to enforce the Act.
The intention is that records at the DVLA relating to road tax will be cross-checked with the insurance database. This should enable authorities to locate drivers who refuse to buy cover.
But who are these criminal motorists who put other drivers in peril? And could insurers do more to help them find protection?
Young drivers loom large in the first group of those who hit the road without insurance, particularly those who insurers brand as "Top Gear fans".
They often buy a car before they have even passed their test, and then modify it, because playing with cars has become a hobby. However, it is virtually impossible to get insurance for a car which has been modified by a young driver.
Having spent months working on the vehicle and unable to find an insurer to take them on, they decide to drive it anyway.
AA insurance spokesman Ian Crowder said: "These young drivers are not only breaking the law, and putting other road users at peril, but they are also risking their entire future.
"Insurers take a very dim view of motorists who are convicted of driving without insurance. Such drivers will find it difficult and expensive to find cover in the future, and will also have a criminal record."
The best advice for young drivers is to forget about their modified vehicle, because they are unlikely to find cover at any price. Instead they should get a car in a low-risk insurance category, insure it third party only and build up a no-claims bonus. After just one year without an accident their premiums will fall to similar levels as low-risk drivers.
Then, once they have built up a good driving history, they might be able to find an insurer which will at least look at covering their modified motor.
Another trick is to increase the excess, which also cuts the premium. This is the amount you have to pay in the event of an accident, before the insurance policy kicks in. Normally this is set at £500, but it can be £1,000 or even higher.
Malcolm Tarling, of the Association of British Insurers, says: "The crucial thing about a higher excess is it makes drivers realise they will have to pick up the bill for more minor accidents. This can make them take a more cautious approach."
The second group of refuseniks are those who routinely flout the law on various fronts. Typically they operate on the black market, do not pay tax and cannot see any reason to buy insurance. These are the ones who will be targeted by the new regulations.
Finally, there is the group for whom, surprisingly, insurers have a little sympathy. They are the drivers who cannot exist without their cars because they rely on them either to get to work or visit sick relatives, but who genuinely cannot afford to pay a big insurance bill.
Such motorists sometimes continue driving in the hope that they will find the money soon to pay for the cover. However, if they are involved in an accident they could end up in jail.
The best option for such drivers is to cut premium costs to the minimum by using the internet to search for the lowest price. Again, premiums can be cut if they go for a big excess and look at restricting both mileage and drivers.
But they can also cut their financial layout by spreading payments over a year. Insurers do charge for spreading payments in this way, but again the internet will help you find the lowest monthly payment.
Make it your policy to avoid road to ruin
Festive revellers should leave the car at home after it emerged that many companies are taking an increasingly tough line if you have an accident after you have been drinking.
Not only may drinking invalidate any claim you have relating to damage to your own vehicle, or if you are injured, but you may also be forced to pay for damage or injury to a third party.
Bell Insurance, which is part of the Admiral Group, is one company which makes it clear to its policyholders that if they are convicted of a drink-driving offence, no claim will be paid in respect of damage or injury to themselves.
However, the company is obliged under the law to meet third-party claims for any injury or damage caused to others. But, like a growing number of insurers, it will endeavour to sue you to recover this money.
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