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Innocent drivers fined as cheap car insurance takes month to register

UK drivers who renew their cheap car insurance policies just before they expire are at risk of being pulled over, fined and having their cars impounded - because it can take up to 28 days for motor insurance firms and the police to update their records.

By law, car insurance companies are given 14 days to register each policy renewal on the Motor Insurance Database (MID). Then the police are given the same length of time to update their own records.

It means that any driver who renews their cheap car insurance policy on the day of its expiry can be marked down as uninsured on police databases for anything up to a month.

If that driver is unfortunate enough to be spotted by one of the growing number of automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) systems installed by forces up and down the country, they will be intercepted by local police for questioning - and woe betide any motorist in that situation who forgets the name of his car insurance provider.

"If you can't remember your insurance company, your car would be clamped and you'd be charged at least £105 as a recovery fee as well as £12 a day storage," said a spokesman for motor insurance firm the AA, which currently receives around 50 complaints regarding this kind of treatment from its members every year.

MID staff are said to be 'aware of the problem' - but for the time being the only sure-fire solution is to renew your car insurance a month before it expires.

 

 

 

 

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