The Police can seize any vehicle where they have reasonable grounds to believe it is uninsured. To support the Police in the fight against uninsured driving the Motor Insurers Bureau has launched a dedicated Police Helpline.

Over 50,000 vehicles were seized during 2006 of which 40% were subsequently crushed or sold.

To support the Police in taking uninsured cars off the roads MIB piloted a dedicated Police Helpline during 2006. The Police Helpline is there to assist the Police with difficult roadside situations where there may be doubt over the validity of insurance cover for a suspect vehicle. During the pilot the MET, South Yorkshire Police, West Yorkshire Police and Merseyside Police were given access to the Police Helpline.

Susan Beck, Head of Communications for MIB says,

“When traffic police pull over a vehicle that does not appear on the Motor Insurance Database (MID), there can be occasions where the driver claims to be insured. In these circumstances the Police Helpline can provide the officer with a definitive answer in the majority of cases by undertaking additional investigations beyond making a MID enquiry.”

Susan goes on to say,

“MIB are delighted to add the following forces onto the Police Helpline: City of London Police, Kent Police, Essex Police, Hampshire Police and Leicestershire.

Frank Whiteley, Chief Constable of Hertfordshire and the ACPO Lead on the ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) project says,

“The MIB Police Helpline has been designed to make the process of identifying uninsured drivers quick and accurate. A phone call to the Police Helpline can save protracted negotiations at the roadside and/or the embarrassment of seizing a vehicle unnecessarily. MIB is committed to helping the Police to stamp out uninsured driving and the Police Helpline is designed to do just that."


Notes to editors

1. Forces now using MIB Police Helpline are: South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Merseyside, MET, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, North Wales, Gloucestershire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Thames Valley, Greater Manchester, Leicestershire, City of London, Hampshire, Essex and Kent

2. 25.4 million enquiries were made on the MID by the Police during 2006, exceeding the target of 15.2 million by 67%

3. Members of the public are advised to contact their insurer or broker if they are in any doubt whether their vehicle is on the MID

4. The Motor Insurers’ Bureau compensates the victims of road accidents caused by uninsured and untraced motorists

5. The MIB also operates the Motor Insurance Database, which contains details of all insured vehicles in the country

For more information please visit www.mib.org.uk