Welcome to our website which we hope you will find informative and helpful. The strategic direction for the MIB remains focused on reducing the level and impact of uninsured driving in the UK. A fundamental component of this is to ensure that claims which result from the negligent actions of uninsured or untraced motorists are dealt with fairly, efficiently and promptly.

The total number of new claims reported to the Bureau in 2007 has fallen for the second consecutive year. We have now seen a reduction of almost 10% in the last two years and there are now some clear signs that the investment made by the insurance industry, the Government and Police is starting to deliver positive results in the fight against uninsured driving.

Anyone who is driving without valid insurance has no right to be on the road. It is illegal. The police now have the ability to identify vehicles being driven without insurance and the power to seize them. The consequences are serious with a £200 fixed penalty, £105 collection charge, £12 per day storage, 6 points on the license and you will need to buy insurance before the vehicle will be released by the police. This is in addition to the inconvenience of being stranded without a car when it is taken by the police. The message is very clearly – get insured.

The MIB, ABI and BIBA have worked closely with the Government, the Police and DVLA to co-ordinate activity in order to address this socially unacceptable menace of uninsured motoring. However we cannot be complacent and the pressure must be maintained. In this context it is essential that systematic enforcement of the obligation to insure is undertaken directly from the record through the process of Continuous Insurance Enforcement as envisaged by the Government in the Road Safety Act 2006. We hope to see progress to draft the appropriate regulations accelerate in 2008 and MIB will continue to work closely with interested parties to make this next important step a reality.

The Motor Insurance Database (MID) is now proving to be the key tool in the fight against uninsured motoring. The Police have access to the MID, as do the DVLA when you tax your vehicle on line. It is therefore essential that your insurance record is correctly on the MID. You can now check this for yourself by accessing it through www.askmid.co.uk.

Should you have any comments please forward these to enquiries@mib.org.uk or you can e-mail me direct at awest@mib.org.uk

Ashton West

Chief Executive