I’ve heard varying details relating to this story. Some say it’s the Tories, some the current government. Some even that an automatic letter would be sent out fining you as soon as your insurance lapses.
It’s the last one that gets me. People change insurance brokers. They go from a personal to a company vehicle. They die. Sometimes insurance lapses for a reason. But it seems that they’re going the same way with this as they are with “safety” cameras. Assume you’re guilty first, scare the crap out of you with threats of court action or immediate fines and leave it up to you to prove you’re innocent. Or dead. Whichever.
Don’t get me wrong – people driving with no insurance are selfish scum, but part of me does sympathise given the current extortionate rates. I had a quick shufty online the other night out of curiosity and found it would cost a smidgen under three grand to insure myself on my current company vehicle were it my own car. Three thousand pounds. Per year. What a joke. No wonder some people take the chance.
Mind you, who is this scheme going to catch out (assuming they go for the “mail it to non-renewers” scheme)? Simple. Poor, innocent Joe Bloggs who’s simply forgotten to renew his insurance. It can’t catch the tossers driving around without it already as their insurance won’t lapse – the system won’t know that they need to be insured so it won’t flag them.
All in all, good idea. Punish them. More thought is needed, though, otherwise it’s the poor innocents who’ll get the thick end of the stick again.
