Penningtons' personal injury team supports clamp down on those driving without insurance

Posted: 30/07/2013

A new campaign raising awareness of the implications of driving without insurance has been launched. Promoted by former ‘Eastenders’ and ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ star Ameet Channa, the campaign targets South Asian communities to raise awareness of the dangers of driving without insurance.

Accidents involving those who drive illegally without valid motor insurance have risen dramatically in recent years. It is estimated that nearly a million motorists under the age of 30 are driving without insurance. Whilst the criminal sanctions include vehicle seizure, penalty points and fines, these are often of little comfort to someone seriously injured by an uninsured driver. Road traffic accident cases can be very stressful for the injured party and this is heightened when an uninsured driver is involved.

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau exists to provide a fund of last resort for those injured by an uninsured driver. The MIB is funded by mandatory contributions from all insurers operating in the motor insurance industry, using the money that lawful motorists pay them in insurance premiums and often contributing to an increase in premiums payable as a result. More insured vehicles would reduce the need for payment into this fund and therefore lead to cheaper insurance for the majority. Any reduction in the number of uninsured motorists will prove beneficial both for those insured in road traffic accidents but also policyholders more widely with lower premiums.

Uninsured driver claims, and those that proceed against the MIB, give rise to a number of technical procedural issues which injured people need to navigate. It is important that specialist legal advice be sought in relation to the whole range of uninsured motorist claims and actions concerning the MIB.

Philippa Luscombe, head of the personal injury team at Penningtons, said: “Whilst uninsured drivers are often simply thinking of saving some money, in reality it carries very serious implications should that driver injure another person. Whilst the MIB largely ‘plugs the gap’, it makes it more difficult for people to obtain compensation for injuries and the individual is at risk of various criminal sanctions and potentially being pursued for recovery by the MIB. We are therefore pleased to see this campaign drawing attention to this ongoing problem.”

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