Police urge motorists to check they are insured

There has been a lot to think about this year but has your motor insurance been one of them? That’s the question being asked by Hertfordshire Constabulary during a national no insurance campaign which runs between 26 October and 1 November.

Motor insurance may seem trivial but having inadequate or no cover can prove costly. Not only are you unprotected, you run the risk of six penalty points and a minimum fine of £300 every time you get behind the wheel. Uninsured vehicles will be seized and crushed or sold at auction if not legally claimed.

It is not a case of out of sight, out of mind. Uninsured drivers can be detected using automatic number plate recognition. The technology is installed in police vehicles and cameras and automatically scans registration plates, alerting officers to those who are driving without valid insurance, MOT and tax.

Last year, more than 5,600 motorists across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire were caught driving with no insurance, equating to 15 prosecutions every day.

T/Chief Inspector Rebecca Rowley-Smith from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit, said: ‘It has been an extraordinary year and everyone has had to adapt to the new normal, but something that has not changed is the legal requirement to have valid motor insurance. Having insurance provides protection if you are unfortunately involved in a collision or if your vehicle is stolen or damaged. Checking you are covered can be done quickly and easily online and can save you from unnecessary expense in future.’

To check if your vehicle is insured, visit www.askMID.com.