New UK Insurance Laws

Starting April of this year, Britain has some new laws regarding car insurance. Here is an article by Shola Ogunlokun showing the difference between the old situation and now.

New UK Car Insurance Laws - April 2011

From April 2011, it will be illegal to own a car in the UK that is not insured even if you don't drive or keep it on a public road unless you have a current and valid Statutory Off Road Notice (SORN) registered with the Driver & Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA).

This new law is being introduced in an effort to clamp down on the over 1 million un-insured drivers using their cars on UK roads every year. With the cost of insurance rising every year due to the increased number of claims involving these vehicles with no 3rd party insurance cover and a minimum of £30 added to the premium of law abiding citizens, the government and the motor insurance industry is finally taking the bull by the horn and dealing with this public menace.

Once the new car insurance laws come into effect, every car that is registered with the DVLA will have its details checked against the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) database, and the registered keeper of any vehicle that does not have insurance will automatically be contacted via an Insurance Advisory Letter (IAL), giving them steps they need to take to avoid action being taken against him/her.

Failure to get the car insured could result in:
1. A fine of £100.
2. The offending vehicle being immobilized, impounded and eventually destroyed.
3. The registered owner facing prosecution with a possible maximum of £1000.

In order for you not to fall foul of these new car insurance laws, you need to either get a minimum of 3rd party insurance cover on any vehicles registered in your name, or if the car is not being currently used, file a Statutory Off Road Notice with the DVLA informing them that it is kept off road (driveway, garage) and not currently being used or driven.

The government and the motor insurance industry is hoping that these new laws will drastically cut the number of un-insured cars being driven on UK roads and as a result a drop in insurance premiums for all law abiding citizens.

Shola Ogunlokun is a qualified and approved UK instructor, providing driving lessons in Edgware. He also provides free online articles, tips and videos to help pass the UK driving test.

Source: EzineArticles.com.

I hope this article helped you with your insurance.

Thank you Shola!
Nadav

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