# Police Stops



## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

I've watched in the likes of 'Traffic Cops' & whenever the cops pull someone over for a suspected driving without Insurance offence, they are always able to phone the person's Insurance company & ask if they are insured or not (assuming the driver is lying or not.)

Do the police have the power to get through the usual security questions etc when speaking to advisers, just for who they are?

Just always puzzled me that, can anyone help? Cheers


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## justina3 (Jan 11, 2008)

i was pulled last month first time in 15 years as well i was quite shocked soon twigged one of my trade plates had fallen from the back window so i had no rear plate on view, 
he rang my insurance company to check i was on the traders policy he didnt seem to have to ask any questions so i guess not


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## Maggi200 (Aug 21, 2009)

iirc insurance companies will have someone to liase with the police specifically and the police don't speak to mr unhelpful in the indian call centre like us average joes do.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

There is the MID database which tells the police and road tax if your vehicle is insured...

I thought they had all the insurance, road tax and MOT databases linked now so they can tell everything about your car ASAP...

Good news, as far as I am concerned...

:thumb:


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## *Das* (Aug 9, 2010)

maggi112 said:


> iirc insurance companies will have someone to liase with the police specifically and the police don't speak to mr unhelpful in the indian call centre like us average joes do.


Agree'd, I imagine they have dedicated phone numbers specifically for police use only to help avoid the old "all our operators are busy at the moment, your call is important to us and will be answered sometime this week".


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## VW Golf-Fan (Aug 3, 2010)

Cheers for the replies guys. :thumb:


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## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

The Cueball said:


> There is the MID database which tells the police and road tax if your vehicle is insured...
> 
> I thought they had all the insurance, road tax and MOT databases linked now so they can tell everything about your car ASAP...
> 
> ...


there not linked as such from my research it just the police have access to all the databases from the in car computers the ANPR just reads the number plate and accesses all of them.

also, during my research for my dissertation for uni i didnt realise VOSA had so much power :lol:


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## johnnyc (Nov 18, 2008)

yeah long story short police call MIB and they can look up any insurance details.


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## robj20 (Jan 20, 2009)

I thought MIB was just made up for the film.


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

Not all insurers have signed up to the database, hence the police need to check further by having someone back at base get in touch with the company whom the driver has offered as covering them/the car.
Over here, you normally get a 5 or 7 day producer at a nominated station.

In the event anyone is stopped and there is a query over valid insurance, then ask for a producer - even if it means speaking to the desk sergeant back at base, on the phone.


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## Maggi200 (Aug 21, 2009)

lol having said this I got pulled yesterdya for no insruance! It was quickly resolved after a phone call to admiral to confirm I am indeed insured. But the database was saying I wasn't, there was an issue with my first dd that took a week after my policy started to be taken. Bloody annoying, what do we pay such high premiums for when they can't even update the one database they have to?!


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

PJS said:


> Not all insurers have signed up to the database


I think you'll find they have! it is a compulsory UK insurance directive that has been in place a few years now. insurers have very strict targets to fulfill with the MID and can face very hefty fines if they fall to meet them.


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## PJS (Aug 18, 2007)

Then it must be down to lazy admin that insured drivers' details aren't updated to verify their status, otherwise there'd be none of what happened to maggi, an others.


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## uruk hai (Apr 5, 2009)

PJS said:


> Then it must be down to lazy admin that insured drivers' details aren't updated to verify their status, otherwise there'd be none of what happened to maggi, an others.


It is, this happens far too often thanks to the lethargy or incompetence of some companies and their employee's


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## HalfordsShopper (Jul 8, 2008)

I just threaten to [email protected] them in the face if the coppers pull me for not having insurance. They normally just let me go after that.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Apart from Fleet/Motor Trade, the MID is pretty much updated automatically/electronically, so is very rarely down to the incompetence of the Insurer's employees.

Problems occur when certain things happen, such as user input error of the wrong reg no, or due to a problem with the EDI message not transmitting to the Insurers following a new business or or a renewal, or on occasions Direct Debit problems as in Maggi's case above, whereby the computer system will think the policy has not been renewed and therefore won't update the MID to show the car for another year.


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