Motor Insurance Database (MID)
If you have a motor fleet insurance policy then you’re obligated to ensure that the Motor Insurance Database (MID) has all the correct and up-to-date information about the vehicles covered by your policy.
It’s easy to assume that as long as you have got insurance to cover your vehicles then you’ll be safe, but this is not the case. The police conduct a huge amount of searches every month on cars in the MID and approximately 140,000 vehicles are seized every year for having no insurance.
Although the police do their best to ensure they have accurate information before seizing vehicles, if they believe that one of your vehicles doesn’t have insurance then they can impound it until you’re able to provide proof. If you are able to provide proof of insurance then you’ll still need to pay a £120 charge to have the vehicle release as well as a charge for each day the vehicle is impounded. This being the case, it’s always better to make sure that the MID contains the correct information about any vehicles you have in your fleet.
Vehicles that must be submitted to the MID
To ensure that the MID has up-to-date information about your vehicles, you must provide the registration number of every vehicle that you own that will be driven or parked on a road or public place. Vehicles that must be covered in your policy and submitted to the MID include –
- Permanent vehicles – Those that are owned or leased by you or registered in your name
- Temporary vehicles – Any vehicles that you hold for more than 14 days must have their registration numbers submitted to the MID.
- Vehicles with contingency insurance – This applies, again, if you hold the vehicles for more than 14 days.
It’s important to note that any vehicles insured in a fleet policy must be owned and registered in the name of the policyholder. Unless specifically stated, cars owned by your spouse/employees will not be covered.
It’s not just important to inform the MID of the details of any new vehicles that you acquire but also when you sell or dispose of a car. If you have fail to do this then it’s very possible that you’ll be contacted about insurance claims that you’re not liable for. Keeping on top of all the comings and goings of your vehicles is one of the challenges of having a fleet policy but it’s certainly worth taking the time to do this.