Uninsured driver clampdown begins

Owners that don't insure their cars or declare them off-road could soon be fined.

A new law, the Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE), has already come in to effect and from June 20, 2011 these will be enforced further. This is to allow time to publicise the new rules and give owners time to get car insurance.

Under the rules every car must be insured or have a valid Statutory Off Road Notice (SORN) with the DVLA, even if the car isn't used and off the road. Anyone that doesn't do this could be fined £100 but this can be reduced to £50 for anyone that pays the fine early.

If the owner then continues to ignore the fine and the car is on public land, it can be clamped and even be seized and crushed. Anyone that continues to ignore these warnings could then find themselves in court and forced to pay a fine of up to £1,000.

The plans are being introduced by the Department for Transport and will use information from the DVLA and Motor Insurer's Bureau to target uninsured cars.

Road Safety Minister, Mike Penning, said: "Uninsured drivers are a danger on our roads, killing 160 and injuring a further 23,000 people each year and they cost honest motorists £500 million in extra premiums. That is why we are introducing this tough new law which will leave uninsured drivers with nowhere to hide.

"Our message is clear - get insured or face a fine, court action or seeing your car seized and destroyed."

Current estimates state that 1.4 million drivers don't have any insurance. The £500 million a year it costs UK driver in claims equates to around an extra £30 to every insurance policy.

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