SHAMED: The 9 vehicles seized by police in Peterborough for offences this week

Police have also released a list of the common insurance policy mistakes that could lead to your car being seized when you least expect it.

If no insurance is identified, or if the police officer has significant concerns about a breach of the insurance policy, the police officer can immediately seize the vehicle.

Myths and misconceptions uncovered through these calls include:

1 Myth: I have fully comprehensive cover so I’m insured to drive other vehicles.

Myth busted: Not all policies include cover for the use of other vehicles. Always check your policy wording and don’t just assume you are covered. Driving other vehicles (DOV) cover is not normally available to anyone other than the policyholder, so a named driver on a policy would not be able to drive other cars under the policy. If you are under 25 years of age, it’s likely that your policy will not cover the use of other vehicles. If you are unsure as to whether you are covered or not, check your policy documents or with your insurance provider before you drive the vehicle.

What MIB sees: The MIB Police Helpline receives up to 150 calls per week relating to whether or not the driver is covered to drive other vehicles.

Consequences: Where the insurer confirms to the Helpline that appropriate cover is not in place, the police officer then has the power to seize the vehicle.

2 Myth: My policy covers me to drive to and from work.

Myth busted: To use your vehicle to get to and from work, your policy will need to cover use for commuting. This is often referred to as ‘social, domestic, pleasure and commuting’. You can find out if you are covered for commuting by checking your insurance certificate and schedule. This essential document explains what uses of the vehicle you are covered for.

What MIB sees: The MIB Police Helpline will regularly contact insurers directly to establish what cover is in place. This information is conveyed to the police officer waiting at the roadside with the policyholder.

Consequences: Where the vehicle is being used outside of the policy terms, then MIB shares this information with the insurer to enable them to address the matter with their policyholder. The insurer will contact their policyholder to investigate this further and may result in the policy being cancelled. A serious breach of the insurance policy terms could result in the police seizing the vehicle.

3 Myth: My policy covers me to drive to work, so I’m also covered to drive to my meeting.

Myth busted: Policies that include commuting will cover you to drive to your ‘usual’ place of work, but if you drive to another place of business, such as a meeting, conference or an event elsewhere, your policy will need to include ‘business’ use.

What MIB sees: Approximately 200 calls per month made to the MIB Police Helpline relate to ‘class of use’. In many of these cases, the insurance policy did not include ‘business’ use and the driver was on the wrong side of the law.