CHIDGEY CALLS FOR CRACKDOWN ON UNINSURED DRIVERS MENACE

5.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 22nd Apr 2004

David Chidgey, Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh, is stepping up his support for the campaign in Parliament to crack down on uninsured drivers, through the introduction of Windscreen Insurance Discs.

Annually, over one million uninsured drivers cost the insurance industry in excess of £500 million. Individual drivers pay an extra £30-60 in insurance premiums every year as a result. Mr Chidgey first pressed for legislation to require insurance to be displayed on the windscreen when the Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesman, following the practice of many other countries.

David Chidgey said:

"I find it very worrying that one in every twenty motorists on our roads is now uninsured. Driving without insurance is a major social, legal and criminal problem. Loss of life or injury through a road traffic accident is traumatic in itself. But to then discover that the perpetrator has no insurance to provide redress must be unbearable.

"For successive governments to have argued against visual on-car display of insurance on the grounds that it is insurance of the driver, not the car that is at issue, has always been nonsense. A huge number of motorists on our roads are owner-drivers, responsible for insuring the car that they drive. And it is either rank arrogance or stupidity not to recognise the valuable experience that many other countries have gained with Windscreen Insurance Discs, over many years.

The Government belatedly initiated a review led by Professor Greenway from Nottingham University whose recommendations are awaited. In the meantime, research by the RAC has shown that 87% of drivers would support the introduction of Windscreen Insurance Discs if it led to lower premiums.

Mr Chidgey is adding his support by signing an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for the introduction of compulsory motor insurance discs for display on car windscreens. ENDS