29/07-11   -   Press releases

IBM, DVLA and Motor Insurers Bureau Join Forces to Reduce Uninsured Driving

IBM Global Business Services supports launch of Continuous Insurance Enforcement initiative

IBM (NYSE:IBM) today confirmed its role in the new laws to tackle uninsured drivers. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and Motor Insurers´ Bureau (MIB) have introduced a new system to help identify uninsured vehicles, which will improve road safety and reduce the cost of uninsured driving across the UK. The development was delivered with the support of IBM consultants and developers.
The new system works by comparing the Motor Insurance Database with DVLA’s vehicle database. The system is the foundation of the recently launched Continuous Insurance Enforcement initiative, a collaboration between DVLA, The Department for Transport, and MIB to reduce the number of vehicles being driven on UK roads without insurance.

To link the insurance and vehicle databases IBM started by analysing big data on vehicles registered with the DVLA and data on insured vehicles from the Motor Insurance Database. By making sure the data was accurate and compatible, this reduced the risk of incorrectly identifying vehicle keepers as being uninsured. The next step was integrating both sets of data in line with the data sharing requirements for Government. MIB and the DVLA now have a more robust view of uninsured vehicles which will allow enforcement action to be taken.

Paramount to the success of the initiative is taking steps to ensure that keepers of potentially uninsured vehicles are correctly identified and given the opportunity to take steps to comply with the law. Under the new system, if a vehicle is suspected as being uninsured, the registered keeper will receive a letter from the MIB advising them to get insurance or declare the vehicle off-road. If they fail to do this enforcement action will be taken by DVLA consisting of a fixed penalty of £100, wheel clamping or Court prosecutions.

David Hancock, Director of Enforcement at DVLA, said “Uninsured drivers are a menace on our roads. The new laws make it clear that drivers must either insure their vehicle or tell DVLA that it is off the road. Failure to do so will result in enforcement action being taken."

Throughout the two year project IBM provided business consulting services to DVLA to shape, scope and project manage their element of this joint Government and insurance industry solution.

IBM also managed DVLA’s two technical delivery phases which led up to the final public launch. Phase one was a successful pilot which went live in August 2010 and allowed comparison of DVLA records and the Motor Insurance Database. Phase two went live earlier this year and allows the DVLA to start taking enforcement action against offenders.

“Uninsured driving has long been seen as a major issue by the Government, Insurance industry and general public, said Sharon Bagshaw, Vice President Project Executive for DVLA, IBM. UK and Ireland. “Analysing and integrating valuable data from both the DVLA and Motor Insurers´ Bureau provided a smarter and cost effective approach to combating the issue."

This project builds on the successful partnership between DVLA and IBM. Previous projects include creating the online channel for vehicle licensing to offer better customer access and choice round the clock. The EVL channel dramatically improved operational efficiency and reduced the time taken for DVLA to process a licensing transaction.

For more information on IBM in the public sector log onto www.ibm.com/easyaccess/publicuk