The early bird catches the worm, and when it comes to car insurance it pays not to leave your renewal until the last minute.
The number of vehicles stopped by the police for being uninsured soared to 170,000 in 2008 compared with just 78,000 two years earlier. Success for the police follows the national roll-out of automatic number plate recognition technology in police cars which can check the registration of cars that come into their field of detection comparing them to the Motor Insurers Database and alerting officers if there is no match.
As a consequence drivers run the risk of being caught without car insurance even if they are just late renewing their policy, or they change their car and don't tell the insurer until the last minute.
Policyholders must bear in mind that as soon as their car insurance expires it is eliminated from the Motor Insurers Database increasing their chances of being caught. Therefore, they are urged to mark down their renewal dates ahead of time.
If you forget to renew your car insurance then do not drive the car until you have arranged cover. You should keep a note of your policy number, the date of your renewal and a note of your insurer's telephone number. That way if you are stopped by police when you do get behind the wheel again, you can quickly resolve the matter by calling your provider.
If your insurer automatically renews your policy you may not have anything to worry about in terms of being caught by the police - but you could be caught out by increased premiums. Remember that many insurers charge penalty fees if you leave their policies mid-term so you should ensure you shop around immediately prior to the renewal date so you're not tied in for another 12 months.
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