the peril of uninsured drivers

 

personal injury image

 

Most drivers do not think about the possibility of having an accident.

 

Even fewer will consider what would happen if they had an accident, and the other – at fault driver, did not have insurance.

 

It is a little known fact that out of the 30 million cars registered with the DVLA there are at least nine million cars on the UK’s roads that are not insured.

 

These figures do not even take into account the other illegal cars on the road – cloned or number plates, stolen cars, and cars driven by friends or family who thought they had insurance – wrongly.

 

The police are making ground with the new Automatic Number Plate Recognition System (ANPRS).  This automatically flags up cars without insurance, and already this year some 24,000 cars have been impounded and confiscated by the Police.  This however is a mere drop in the ocean when considering the number of cars still on the roads.

 

There is, however, light at the end of the tunnel for claimants – the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB).

 

The MIB was set up in 1947 to compensate the injured victims of drivers who are uninsured, or who can not be traced.  Approximately 40,000 claims are registered with the MIB every year, and over £300 million in compensation was awarded to claimants in 2005.

 

Drivers still need to beware, however, that it is essential they obtain as much detail about the other driver when the accident occurs, as if the driver can’t be traced the MIB will deal with the claim under the Untraced Driver scheme, under which settlements are considerably less.. 

 

The most important details to obtain include:

  • the other driver’s name and address
  • a contact telephone number
  • the vehicle registration number
  • the make and model of the vehicle
  • a description of the other driver

 

If the other driver refuses to supply these details, then the police should be called, and asked to attend.

 

With sound legal advice making a claim against the MIB is similar to claiming from an insurer, although can be a lengthy process.

 

For further information please contact Alison McClure in the Personal Injury team on 023 8085 7345 or email alison.mcclure@bllaw.co.uk