New car insurance rules will be introduced in the near future to crack down on motorists who cause damage to properties.
A consultation took place last year which questioned whether rules should be launched to reintroduce an exclusion previously removed because of incompatibility with European Union law.
It meant that uninsured drivers would no longer be able to claim compensation for property damage from the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB).
At present, uninsured drivers are able to claim this compensation if involved in an accident with other uninsured drivers or untraced drivers.
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The new rules being introduced will crack down on motorists without insurance
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The MIB covers its costs by imposing a levy on all motor insurance companies, which could force the cost onto "law-abiding premium-paying motorists".
After the UK left the European Union, it was no longer required to be subject to EU laws, allowing it to proceed to make changes to crack down on uninsured drivers.
The consultation, which ended in May 2024, received 90 responses, including 86 members of the public and four organisations.
There was "overwhelming support" for the proposal to exclude uninsured drivers from compensation for property damage if they are involved in accidents with another uninsured driver.
The decision is being made to encourage all motorists to be insured
GETTYThere was even greater support for excluding uninsured drivers from compensation for property damage if involved in collisions with an untraced driver, with 96.7 per cent of people backing the proposal.
Responses also suggested that uninsured driving was "unacceptable" and that drivers were knowingly breaking the law.
The Government said uninsured drivers "should not be able to benefit" in the same way that people driving lawfully do.
It added that the law change will send "a strong message" about motorists needing to comply with insurance rules.
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The change will not impact the rights of uninsured drivers to claim compensation for personal injury from the MIB, which it said was "beyond our proposals".
The Government response continued: "We will now reintroduce the exclusion of property damage for uninsured drivers.
"This exclusion will require amendments to the Uninsured and Untraced Drivers’ Agreements between the Secretary of State and the MIB.
"The Government will work with the MIB [to] make changes to the agreements at the earliest possible opportunity."
The new law changes could be introduced in the near future
GETTYData from the MIB in 2024 found that there was an average of 300,000 uninsured vehicles driving on UK roads every day.
Shockingly, the research showed that 10 per cent of the British public was unaware that motor insurance is compulsory for any vehicle used on a public road.
Alongside the data, the Bureau announced that it would be investing £5million to update and expand enforcement initiatives that remove uninsured vehicles from the road.
Martin Saunders, head of enforcement for MIB, added: "We are encouraging people to ensure their motor insurance is adequate and appropriate for their needs, whilst reminding them that they can look at ways to legally reduce their premiums."
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