AA brands DVLA insurance check removal “absurd”

The AA has described the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority’s (DVLA) proposal to end compulsory insurance checks when car owners apply for a tax disc as “absurd”.

AA Insurance director Simon Douglas said: “To knock out a simple and almost fool-proof check that insurance is in place, once every year or six months, is madness. It’s telling the public that it’s OK to delay or even avoid taking out cover.  

“The industry has worked hard to reduce the number of uninsured vehicles on Britain’s roads and this is beginning to show signs of success, but this will send out entirely the wrong message and will undo much the work carried out by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, the government and the insurance industry to tighten up enforcement of the law.”

The proposals rely on Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) legislation that was introduced last year, and the police using automatic number plate recognition technology to identify uninsured vehicles.

Douglass added: “If this becomes law, we will see a sharp rise in the number of people driving without cover, either deliberately or through oversight. That in itself will impose a costly burden on enforcement authorities and the courts.”