The MID is a Motor Traders Best Friend
According to a report by data firm HPI in February, more than £10m worth of cars were saved from being auctioned off or sent to the crusher after being apprehended by police for no insurance coverage. In excess of £2.7m worth of vehicles were identified in London, whilst more than £500,000 were found in Greater Manchester and Scotland. And in one instance a top of the range Bentley in Yorkshire.
Under Section 165A of the Road Traffic Act (1988) police can seize cars from uninsured drivers. These will be disposed of by having them crushed or through sale. Ultimately, having an uninsured vehicle on the road could lead to serious repercussions.
Enforcing Insurance Laws
Enter the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB), founded in the UK in the 1940s as the system through which compensation is provided for victims of accidents caused by uninsured and untraced drivers.
Crucial to the MIB is its Motor Insurance Database (MID) which is the central record of all insured vehicles in the UK. It is coordinated by the MIB and is used by the police and the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to enforce motor insurance laws.
Motor Insurers' Bureau
The MIB shares the information on the database with that held at the DVLA to spot uninsured vehicles as part of Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) laws. The police also use the MID to tackle uninsured driving and have the power to seize uninsured cars from UK roads.
Use askMID.com to confirm that your vehicle is not uninsured and is on the MID. If your car doesn’t appear on the MID, you should speak with your insurer/broker immediately.
If you have been involved in an accident, you can check whether someone else’s vehicle is insured using the askMID.com website. There is a small charge for doing so.
The cost of funding the MIB is ultimately borne by Insurance companies who pass the cost on to their policyholders via insurance premiums. It accounts for around £15-£30 a year from every UK insured driver's premium.
For everybody involved in the motor trade, it’s a vital tool. It is just as important to remove vehicles as it is to add them to your policy. If you sell a vehicle and it is involved in an accident, you could be held liable if it is still listed on your policy.
For further information regarding the MIB and MID visit www.mib.org.uk.