Tonight programme on uninsured drivers

[stuartinlancashire]

Just watched Tonight on ITV1 about uninsured drivers and it was a bit of an eye opener.

One thing they highlighted was that the info on the number plate recognition system is not always up to date, the police pulled a woman in Manchester and where insistent that her car had no insurance. Just as they where about to seize her car her sister turned up with her insurance docs, the police then checked with the insurance company and it turned out the insurance company had not updated the database.

After watching this I'm going to make sure I carry some details of my insurance with me in future. i.e. policy number, etc, as I don't fancy being a victim of an insurance company cock up!

 

[masona]

Just as they where about to seize her car her sister turned up with her insurance docs, the police then checked with the insurance company and it turned out the insurance company had not updated the database.

Don't the police give you 5-7 days notice to produce the insurance docs at the station?

 

[stuartinlancashire]

Don't the police give you 5-7 days notice to produce the insurance docs at the station?

Not any more, if there computer says your car is not insured then they inpound it, you have to then produce your documents or the vehicle gets crushed!

 

[masona]

Blimey, that's a bit unfair

 

[libby lou lou]

Then comes claim time i would'nt worry about it if your legal, it does not get crushed immediatly, time is given for proof

 

[Spark123]

I think it is very fair, I have to pay for my car insurance, MOT and road tax, I had to pay to take a test and get a license, why should someone else get away with driving who doesn't pay for all them? If it gets more untaxed, uninsured and unsafe drivers off the road I'm all for it.
As Libby lou lou says it wouldn't be crushed immediately so the only real other problem is inconvenience caused by of lack of a car which is an issue for the insured to take up with their insurance company as it was their incompetence that caused the problem in the first place.

 

[2scoops0406]

The police are also wide open for litigation in these cases, just imagine the field day any decent solicitor would have £££'s

 

[Spark123]

Why would the Police be wide open to litigation? If the driver is uninsured/taxed/licensed/mot'd and driving on the roads then as far as I am concerned they get all they deserve.
If they are innocent and get inconvenienced owing to someone elses mistake them that is their problem, not a Police problem.

 

[2scoops0406]

Why would the Police be wide open to litigation? If the driver is uninsured/taxed/licensed/mot'd and driving on the roads then as far as I am concerned they get all they deserve.
If they are innocent and get inconvenienced owing to someone elses mistake them that is their problem, not a Police problem.

No it's not, impounding your car, unlawfully because the data they have used is a serious issue, not just one of inconvenience.

 

[davieboy]

i have a motor traders policy which covers me 24/7 fully comp to drive any vehicle on business and social/domestic. have checked with the broker, the vehicle i am driving does not need to be insured in its own right as my policy covers it when its in my care. as long as its taxed i'm legal (if not i have trade plates, but thats another can of worms). only have to inform the motor insurance database if its in my possesion for more than 14 days and i'm using it.

wonder where i would stand if plod pulled me...?

 

[Spark123]

Why would the Police be wide open to litigation? If the driver is uninsured/taxed/licensed/mot'd and driving on the roads then as far as I am concerned they get all they deserve.
If they are innocent and get inconvenienced owing to someone elses mistake them that is their problem, not a Police problem.

No it's not, impounding your car, unlawfully because the data they have used is a serious issue, not just one of inconvenience.

So what do you think is the correct way forward? If it is up to the insurance companies to keep the database updated I will blame them if they fail to do this, not the police for acting upon the information provided to them by the insurance companies. Maybe we need to ask who is acting unlawfully, the police for impounding vehicles or the insurance company for failing to keep up to date records??

 

[2scoops0406]

The police are there to uphold the law. They do not create the law nor do they / should they act as judge jury and executioner as they are in this case. If you compare what is happening to a criminal case, the police do not go around aribitarily arrested suspects, they check the evidence against them first. if as the programme highlighted that the evidence they have may well be flawed, then common sense suggests that further investigation is warranted before action is taken against the suspect. Shifting the onus onto innocent people to prove that they are innocent to my mind is a very dangerous and sinister development one that is wide open to abuse.

 

[yes2mud]

Davieboy,sort of in answer to your question,I saw one of the police programs very recently where just such a person as yourself was stopped for driving an un-insured car.He said he had a trader policy,and eventually was able to confirm it,so he went on his way.

 

[Bendo]

Then comes claim time i would'nt worry about it if your legal, it does not get crushed immediatly, time is given for proof

Given they use a private recovery company, you still have to pay the charge though even if you were in insured, normally £150 minimum. So then you have to fanny about writing to the police to get your money back.

 

[Nige F]

I got £12K from a drunk uninsured driver ....took 4 years for payout I`d rather not walk with a limp tho` SHOP THE BASTARDS