Cheap van insurance customers need to ensure up-to-date paperwork

Cheap van insurance customers have been warned to check over their van insurance details to make sure everything is up-to-date in a bid to avoid being affected by new legislation which was introduced on June 20th.

The new law, brought in as part of the Continuous Insurance Enforcement regulations, makes it a legal requirement for all registered vehicle keepers to insure their vehicle at all times. This means it is now an offence to keep an uninsured vehicle.

Although many van insurance customers will regularly check their policy to make sure it has not expired and will receive a renewal notice before such an event, these can be forgotten and individuals may be driving uninsured unknowingly.

The new legislation makes it a legal offence to keep a vehicle without insurance unless you have notified the DVLA that your vehicle is off the road and have received a valid Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN).

In the event that your van insurance policy has expired and you do not have a SORN, then you do not have to be physically caught to be prosecuted. Under the new system the Motor Insurance Database and the DVLA will compare their records to identify uninsured vehicles.

The first many van insurance customers will know of the offence is when an Insurance Advisory Letter drops through the letterbox, warning of a fine unless they take prompt action. Failure to comply can result in the following sanctions:

• A fixed penalty notice of £100
• The clamping, seizure and disposal of the vehicle
• A court prosecution which carries a maximum £1000 fine

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: “Law abiding drivers and cheap van insurance customers have nothing to fear from this move, provided they make a quick check to ensure their paperwork is up-to-date. This system is not designed to fine drivers making honest mistakes but to catch the minority of individuals who intentionally ignore the system.”

If your current policy is coming to an end and you are looking for cheap van insurance then visit Van Compare. We compare the prices of over 20 of the nation’s top insurers to make sure you don’t end up paying a penny more than you need to.