MID Motor Insurance database

[MikeT]

What a joke (sarc) this is proving to be.

Traffic police use an Automatic Number Plate Recognition system that cries "foul" if no insurance record is found which is becoming an irritant to many legal drivers. I have even heard stories of women with children being forced to leave their cars where they're stopped and find alternative transport home despite being fully legal. Others have had their cars impounded and had to pay a large fine to get them released.

I've already been stopped and taken into custody (back of police car with child locks set) because MID doesn't take into consideration the allowance for driving "other cars" on my fully comp'd insurance.

Now I can't get my road tax either because MID is not up to date. The post office aren't open 24/7 but the law applies 24/7.

[reblack68]

It maybe not much help to you but you can check a car's insurance status online.

http://www.askmid.com/

[DickieG]

Mike has a good point here as there are a number of insurance companies (some very well known/large ones at that) who as of this moment of time do not participate in the scheme and of those that do it sometimes takes a couple of weeks before the data is updated (I know this for a fact as my missus works for the Plod in one of their control rooms).

Just a week or two ago I had a very frank debate with a 'Black Rat' (a personality bypass zone with most of them) who would not have it and simply said "Well I sieze the car and then when the driver provides proof they can have their car back" . Hmm, and as for the incovienience, cost involved in lost time/work recovering your car when you have done nothing at all wrong? Police rely on being able to ring an insurance company to resolve such disputes, but at 10pm on a Saturday night how many insurance companies will be working?

I just hope that someone who suffers such appalling behaviour takes the offending officer to civil court for damages.

[MikeT]

It maybe not much help to you but you can check a car's insurance status online.

http://www.askmid.com/

Yep, it works off the very same database though I've even heard of somone finding their registration being shown as registered only to be denied car tax by DVLA because, to them MID said it wasn't insured yet!

I can understand a policeman's frustration at uninsured drivers - these traffic police have to attend the most unfortunate consequences and then inform somebody's mother/father/husband/wife etc. I should think any member of the Black Rats would be inclined to be even more anti-motorist, though I'd sooner be dealt with a traffic unit than a patrol unit any time of day!

[reblack68]

I've never understood why driving uninsured is such a heinous crime. I would much rather share the road with somebody who has to pay for his mistakes than somebody who can drive as badly as he wants with complete impunity.

[MikeT]

I checked the database and it still delcares my car uninsured even though I bought cover last Friday so, because I was worried about getting stopped and/or reported for using a vehicle on the road without tax, I did a naughty to buy it .

The insurance document I presented is the certificate covering my last Xantia (which I've sold). I have transferred it (same policy) last Friday and I am legally insured but I have no updated certificate yet (it's in the post). Fortunately, the counter staff didn't check the reg on the certificate and accepted it. Oddly enough, they didn't want the MOT either, she said it was "on the screen".

On a side note, it doesn't matter how many times I pre-ask for 12 months tax, I still get given 6 months tax and have to tell them again. Doesn't anyone buy 12 months tax anymore? It's a total waste of money IMO yet everyone moans about the cost.

[myglaren]

On a side note, it doesn't matter how many times I pre-ask for 12 months tax, I still get given 6 months tax and have to tell them again. Doesn't anyone buy 12 months tax anymore? It's a total waste of money IMO yet everyone moans about the cost.

I have never been asked about it but tax my car online now.
Last time I taxed it at the post office I only had two days MOT left.
They couldn't do it there and then so I taxed it anyway - they never looked at the MOT certificate. Just as well, I had picked up the one for the previous year. This was before they had the MOT database.

I insured my son's 306 yesterday and they sent a .pdf to ptint out for the covernote. Remains to be seen if they will accept it at the P.O.

Oddly enough, I have just noticed the adds at the foot of the page (which it has to be said shouldn't be there - Adblock usually takes care of that) and it wa through eCar we took out the insurance.

Except I've just realised I'm using Opera

[MikeT]

I would prefer to tax online but in this case I didn't want to wait and risk getting clamped, towed, stopped and/or checked. It's been nerve-wracking driving this weekend, not sure my nerves can take much more hence the chance-taking at the PO.

My insurance company refuse to email cover notes or certificates stating that it wouldn't be a legal document but previous insurers have done so when asked. There are a lot of inconsistencies between companies and their policies, I find.

I use eCar for single day insurance if needed though I don't know if the PO will accept that. They did accept a 7-day ins policy to tax one car I bought a few years ago. Seems it's a bit of a lottery but worth trying IMO.

[myglaren]

My insurance company refuse to email cover notes or certificates stating that it wouldn't be a legal document but previous insurers have done so when asked. There are a lot of inconsistencies between companies and their policies, I find.

I tried to tax a new van a few years ago and they wouldn't accept a faxed covernote, had to wait for it to arrive in the post.

They should be able to check with the DVLA that it is insured but it can take a week or more to go through. My son in law changed his insureres a week before retaxing his car and they wouldn't acept an online application for it.