The Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB - see www.mib.org.uk) was established in 1946 as a private company limited by guarantee for the purpose of entering into agreements with the Government to compensate the victims of negligent uninsured and untraced motorists.  Every insurer underwriting compulsory motor insurance is obliged, by virtue of the Road Traffic Act 1988, to be a member of MIB and to contribute to its funding.

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau also oversees on behalf of the insurance industry the development and ongoing management of the Motor Insurance Database (MID).  This database, of insured vehicles,  is already a key tool in the crusade against the crime of uninsured driving.

The UK has one of the worst records in Western Europe for uninsured driving, with an estimated one in every twenty cars on the road being driven without proper insurance cover.  This results in every honest motorist in the UK paying £15 - £30 of their insurance premium to compensate the innocent victims of these cheats, and the problem is growing at a dramatic rate.

Not only does the database help to reduce this crime, but it also assists the UK in meeting the 4th EU Motor Insurance Directive.  This directive, which came into effect on 20 January 2003, requires that details of every insured vehicle be accessible (by VRM), by a national information centre in order to make it easier to pursue cross-border claims.  In the UK, this role is carried out by the MIB via the UK Information Centre.

Chief Constable Meredydd Hughes, ACPO Lead for Uniformed Operations,  explained:

"The use of ANPR at the roadside is helping the police to rid the roads of uninsured vehicles.  During 2006 around 50,000 vehicles were seized by the police.  ANPR teams check against the Police National Computer, the Motor Insurance Database and the DVLA database.  If a vehicle is not taxed or insured, reported stolen or lost, or if the keeper of the vehicle is wanted by the police for any other crimes, they will be stopped and further checks will be made.  The vehicle will be seized if there are no valid documents, and if proof of ownership or insurance is not produced within 14 days of the seizure, the police have new powers to crush and destroy the vehicle.  Company car drivers are also at risk of seizure if the company has not registered the vehicle details on the MID."