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.  The insurance industry makes up the loss, but the real victims are the honest motorists whose insurance premiums subsidise the cheats.

In 2000, the insurance industry set up the Motor Insurers' Information Centre (MIIC) to develop and manage the Motor Insurance Database (MID) in order to combat this crime.  Not only will the database help to reduce this crime, but it will also assist the UK in meeting the 4th EU Motor Insurance Directive.

The 4th EU Motor Insurance Directive, which came into effect on 20 January 2003, requires that details of every insured vehicle be accessible (by Vehicle Registration Number) by a national information centre in order to make it easier to pursue cross-border claims.  In the UK, the MIIC will fulfil the role of the UK Information Centre.

To comply with new legislation, the following actions are required:-

			All insurers will provide policy information to the MID, effectively opening an account for the receipt of vehicle data.
			Policyholders, including all motor fleet, self insured operators, self drive hire operators or motor trade policyholders will provide vehicle information to the MID.

The vehicle data to be supplied includes:

Mandatory

			Vehicle registration number
			Date on which cover begins for each vehicle
			Date on which cover ceases for each vehicle

Optional

			Vehicle make and model
			Vehicle type (private car - goods carrying etc.)
			Engine capacity or gross vehicle weight

The MIIC has advised that the optional data is supplied in case future enhancements are made to the legislation to render the database more useful.

NB. To ensure the database is up to date, any changes to your schedule, e.g. vehicles taken on or off cover, must be made to the MID promptly and no later than 14 days after the change.

Vehicle data will be supplied to the MID in one of two ways:

1. Where individual vehicle details are recorded by our Underwriters

Ensign will provide the required information directly to the MID from our own system.

If this applies to you, it is imperative that change of vehicle instructions are provided to your broker/intermediary immediately to enable Underwriters to comply with the 14-day rule – please do not wait until the end of the quarter.

2. Where vehicle details are not recorded by Underwriters

The policyholder will be responsible for providing at least the mandatory vehicle information direct to the MID via the Internet.

If this applies to you, please note that there is no data collection service for the MID.  In other words, you are not permitted to send submissions via fax or e-mail to either Ensign or the MIIC.  Submission may only be made via the Internet.

Whichever of the above methods of populating the MID are utilised, this will not effect the way in which Underwriters currently process premium adjustments.

Individual vehicle details, whether adjusted on an as and when, or declaration (quarterly, half yearly etc.,) basis will still need to be provided to your broker/intermediary in the usual way to enable premium adjustments to be made.

			All insured vehicles registered in the UK must be held on the MID
			Temporary vehicles held for 14 days or less do not need to be held on the MID
			Failure to supply vehicle details may in certain circumstances lead to criminal prosecution and a fine of up to £5000

Visit our Helpdesk page for information on how we can assit you with MID queries.