Women's car insurance news
12/07/2007

Cheap car insurance firm's error leaves lady stranded

A pregnant woman from Llandudno was left stranded at the side of the road after an error by her cheap car insurance company made police think that she was uninsured.

The 29-year-old was driving her father's car in Deganwy, Conwy, when she was stopped by police in a roadside check. After checking on a database, North Wales Police determined that she was driving without motor insurance and confiscated the car.

The car was taken away on a recovery vehicle and the police refused to give her a lift home, despite the fact she told them she was pregnant.

The MP for Clwyd West, who revealed that he had seen the woman's valid motor insurance document, commented on the case: "As a matter of simple humanity, how could the officers in question allow a lady in [her] condition to stand in the rain without arranging transport for her or, at the least, giving her shelter in one of their vehicles?"

"I want to raise this in the Commons because it is an example of how we are going in this country, with the word of a database being preferred to that of an innocent member of the public."

According to Direct Line, the cheap car insurance company who held the policy for the vehicle, a systems error had occurred which meant that the lady's details had not been uploaded to the motor insurance database from which the police work.

A police spokesperson offered an apology for the incident, and commented: "The car was returned to Mrs Parry's parents on production of valid insurance documents on the same day that it was seized.

"North Wales Police shares Mrs Parry's concerns about the inaccuracy that led up to this incident and will be cancelling the ticket, reimbursing the family and supporting them in their efforts to get the insurance details recorded correctly.

"The Motor Insurance Bureau share North Wales Police's concerns and are working with Direct Line Insurance in order to ensure that such mistakes are not repeated."