Owners of uninsured cars to face fine

Owners of uninsured cars are to face fines and possible court action to seize their vehicle.

Currently it is an offence to drive an uninsured car.

Under the new proposals, announced by Jim Fitzpatrick, Road Transport Minister, it will also be an offence to keep an uninsured car.

Those who refuse to insure their cars are responsible for increasing the insurance premiums for all the other motorists who do insure their cars.

It is estimated this adds £30 a year to car insurance premiums.

According to the government, these uninsured owners, and those that cannot be traced, account for some 23,000 injuries each year and the death of 160 people.

By comparing the DVLA’s database with that held by the Motor Insurance Bureau, owners without car insurance will be identified. They will then be sent a letter explaining that they need to get car insurance within a set period or otherwise face a fine.

Initially the fine will be a fixed penalty fine of £100 but this could rise up to £1,000 if the case is taken to court.

If people keep their cars on private land purely so they can work on them as a hobby or add them to a collection then they can complete a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN), send it to the DVLA and they will be exempt from paying the car insurance.

The proposals are subject to a public consultation until 16 April 2009.