Insurance and legal

It doesn’t seem to be public knowledge yet, but for the last 8 weeks vehicle insurance providers have been legally able to send the certificate of motor insurance electronically. Before 1^st May when the new legislation came into effect, only insurance documents printed on special paper to deter fraud were valid. This now means that the full vehicle insurance process, from enquiry to cover, can be done without needing to use paper.

The bill applies to every kind of auto insurance, including both total annual cover and temporary policies such as 1 day car insurance or short term van insurance.

This is clearly good news for those concerned about the environment, as it means that a considerable amount of paper is saved each year. It also means you don’t have to worry about keeping yet another important document in a safe place, as everything will be backed up online. It’s actually good news for the consumers too, as they will no longer have to wait for the postman to bring your insurance documents so you can drive your car, or waiting in the famously long Post Office queues to renew your cover.
It’s especially useful if you’re getting 1 day insurance for a vehicle, as it will allow you to sort the whole process in a much quicker time, meaning you don’t have to worry so much about unexpected insurance needs.

It’s not clear which providers will utilise the paperless option, as it’s not compulsory for insurers. It would also be likely that not all providers have document systems on their websites capable of handling the process. For those that do have capable systems in place howeve, it could end up being a strong advantage to be able to offer paperless insurance. Expect to see insurers pushing the new system on your TV screen relatively soon.