Information We Need
The data required for populating MID, and satisfying the requirements of the Fourth EU Motor Insurance Directive, can be split into distinct categories:
This category comprises all of that information specific to a particular policy which enables MIB to precisely identify it:
- Insurer Contact Details
- Policy Number
- Policyholder Name
- Policyholder Address
- Policy Start Date
- Policy End Date
The Police and MIB will have access to all of this information, but other insurers and third party claimants will only be entitled to know the Insurer Contact Details and Policy Number.
It is our duty as insurers to provide all of this information to the MID for every Motor Fleet and Motor Trade policy that we write.
Vehicle information is data that relates specifically to a particular vehicle. Insurers do not always hold full vehicle schedules for Motor Fleet and Motor Trade policies though, and even in those instances where we do maintain such records, they are normally only updated at the declaration and renewal stages. To satisfy the terms of the Directive then, the industry solution demands that commercial policyholders are required to keep up to date records of their vehicle schedules and to notify all amendments to the MID.
Vehicle information itself is split into two categories:
|
Mandatory Vehicle Information
Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) |
The unique vehicle identifier |
Vehicle On Date |
The date on which cover for the vehicle, under this policy, commenced |
Vehicle Off Date |
The date on which cover for the vehicle, under this policy, is due to cease |
Preferred Vehicle Information
Vehicle Type |
Private Car, Commercial Veh/Van, Plant, Coach/Minibus, Trade Plate, Motorcycle, Agricultural, Motor Home or Other |
Vehicle Make |
A freeform field |
Vehicle Model |
A freeform field |
There is also the option to provide one of the following 'preferred' variables, depending on vehicle type:
Engine Size |
Engine capacity in cubic centimetres e.g. 1600 |
Gross Vehicle Weight |
Vehicle weight in metric tonnes e.g. 3.5, 38 etc. |
Number of Seats |
Number of passenger seats excluding driver's seat |
|
You are obviously obliged to provide the mandatory vehicle details as an absolute minimum for every vehicle within your fleet. We would also urge you though, to supply as much of the preferred vehicle detail as you can. The MID will be of much more use to the Police if they can cross reference VRN with Vehicle Type and Make/Model, and the additional information will also enable us to streamline our declaration process.
We would remind all policyholders that as of 20th January 2003 you are legally obliged to supply the information described above.
The Directive demands that all vehicle amendments are notified 'without delay'. The Government and the insurance industry have interpreted this as meaning that the MID must be kept up to date to within fourteen days of any change occurring. There is always the possibility that future legislation might override this view, but in the meantime our advice to policyholders is as follows:
- If you make only occasional changes to your fleet, you should aim to notify us of any changes as soon as they occur. Getting into this good habit will make it less likely that any vehicle alterations get overlooked.
- If the make-up of your fleet changes regularly, you should aim to submit a file of changes on a weekly basis
Policyholders opting to use our Compare and Amend facility (see 'Methods of Input' page), will need to submit an updated snapshot of their schedule on the day that any change occurs.
|