Caravan Insurance

Van fleet managers across the country are set to be investigated by the police as new figures show that a large number have not registered their vehicles on the Motor Insurance Database (MID).

The Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) said that it has lost patience with some 14,000 fleets that have not registered themselves, even though the system has now been in place for three years and it is a legal requirement.

The head of the Motor Insurers Information Centre at the MIB, told Fleet News: "We will be getting the police involved later this year and thousands of files could be heading towards the Crown Prosecution Service."

To date the MIB has met with the Crown Prosecution Service and the Department for Transport to find out what penalties could be used to punish those who are failing to comply with the 4th EU Motor Directive.

The 4th EU Motor Directive was set up to combat the crime of people driving vehicles that are not insured.

Meanwhile, the police has linked the database to its automatic number plate recognition systems (ANPR), as well as increasing patrol numbers on the highways of Britain, which means that non-compliant vehicles will be easier to catch.