New rules and fines for uninsured vehicles - Car Rental News
New rules and fines for uninsured vehicles
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Car Rental News - 23/05/2011
A new law next month will penalise people for uninsured cars, even if they’re not driven.
The government has launched an ad campaign to remind drivers that a new law coming into force in a month will mandate them keeping their vehicles insured. The new law will mean that even if people don’t use their cars on the public highway, they can be fined for not having vehicle insurance.
The advertising campaign has been created to make sure people are aware of the change to the law. Starting on 20 June, vehicle owners face financial penalties for not insuring their cars, even if they don’t drive them.
Some 1.4 million motorists are thought to lack insurance. Under current legislation, drivers are only prosecuted for not having insurance if they are caught driving their cars.
Police forces have already installed number-plate recognition technology in police cars that can check vehicles against a database to see if they are insured. The police, however, need time to enforce the law in this way.
From 20 June, the legal changes allow drivers to be prosecuted simply for the offence of owning a vehicle that is not insured. Offending vehicle owners will be warned by letter.
Drivers who fail to act as warned in the letters could face a fine of £100. This could be followed by legal action in the courts.
Whether or not the fine is paid, if a vehicle is still uninsured, the government will take further action. A vehicle found on public land could be clamped, seized and then destroyed.
In other cases, further court action may be taken. Offenders risk fines of as much as £1,000. The only way to avoid these actions is to declare to the DVLC that a car is off the road.
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