Car insurance news
12/05/2009

Women's cover could be cheaper thanks to ANPR

Female drivers buying their women's car insurance in 2009 will be encouraged to learn that this year the cost of uninsured drivers on the purse of the honest motorist has fallen for the first time.

However, car insurance buyers will still have to pay £407million into the MIB (Motor Insurers' Bureau) fund, via their premiums, to provide compensation for those involved in accidents with uninsured or untraceable drivers.

The previous year's levy was £417million and the chief executive of the MIB said, "This is the first time the cost of uninsured losses has come down year on year."

The reduction is being attributed to the success of the Motor Insurance Database which allows police to target uninsured drivers using ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras.

Last year, 185,000 vehicles were seized after road checks and 300,000 motorists prosecuted for driving without valid car insurance.
The MIB chief said, "We estimate we have got rid of about 15 per cent of uninsured drivers, but there are still up to two million cars being driven illegally without insurance."
A spokesperson for CoverGirl, the woman car insurance specialist, said, "With around 160 people dying and 23,000 suffering injuries as a result of uninsured drivers each year, catching these irresponsible motorists is paramount in a bid to provide cheap car insurance quotes and safer UK roads."