Automotive Guruz

It is estimated that there are currently around 1.5 million uninsured drivers on the UK’s roads. Annually this costs in the region of £500 million – a burden which falls on the shoulders of the UK’s insured drivers – costing around £30 for each car insurance premium taken out.

In a bid to bring the situation under control, the DVLA have announced that they will be introducing new penalties in 2011 which will ensure that all vehicles are insured or declared as SORN (Statutory off road notification).

The Police Force currently seizes in the region of 500 uninsured vehicles a day which should increase following the introduction of the new scheme in early 2011.

The new law will result in a letter being sent to vehicle owners without any apparent insurance giving them a predetermined amount of time to get in touch with the DVLA or insure the vehicle.

If no action is taken by the registered keeper then they could face a fixed penalty fine of £100 to begin with, followed by court prosecutution and up to a £1,000 fine. The law will also give the police the power to clamp, seize and destroy the car should this prove necessary.

More info can be found out about the new penalty scheme by visiting the Direct.Gov website.

Due to the current economic climate, more people are struggling to find the money each month to fund the ever increasing cost of living and myriad of monthly bills that need paying. A large percentage could now find themselves in a situation where they are late purchasing insurance or vehicle tax due to this.

Luckily car insurance is one area where you can make a saving if you take a few things into account:

Money Saving Tips

Get a variety of quotes from a number of different providers to ensure you get the best value for money policy. Comparison websites such as Confused.com,

Gocompare.com and Moneysupermarket.com can help to remove the leg work. If you leave your car on the road outside your home at night, try moving it to your driveway or storing in a locked garage and report this to your insurer. Improving the security of your car can help to bring down premium costs.

Report you annual mileage as accurately as possible; overestimating can increase the price of your premium. If you have an MOT certificate from the previous year, look at the mileage recorded on it and use to make an accurate estimate of your next years

driving.

Try increasing the voluntary excess on your policy as this can bring down the annual premium to a certain degree. Only alter this to amount you can afford to pay should you need to claim on your car insurance.