<P> Some classes of vehicle ownership, or use, are "Crown Exempt" from the requirement to be covered under the Act including vehicles owned or operated by certain councils and local authorities, national park authorities, education authorities, police authorities, fire authorities, health service bodies, the security services and vehicles used to or from Shipping Salvage purposes . Although exempt from the requirement to insure this provides no immunity against claims being made against them, so an otherwise Crown Exempt authority may chose to insure conventionally, preferring to incur the known expense of insurance premiums rather than accept the open - ended exposure of effectively, self - insuring under Crown Exemption . </P> <P> The Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) compensates the victims of road accidents caused by uninsured and untraced motorists . It also operates the MID, which contain details of every insured vehicle in the country and acts as a means to share information between Insurance Companies . </P> <P> Soon after the introduction of the Road Traffic Act in 1930, unexpected issues arose when motorists needed to drive a vehicle other than their own in genuine emergency circumstances . Volunteering to move a vehicle, for example, where another motorist had been taken ill or been involved in an accident, could lead to the' assisting' driver being prosecuted for no insurance if the other car's insurance did not cover use by any driver . To alleviate this situation an extension to UK Car Insurances was introduced allowing a Policyholder to personally drive any other motor car not belonging to him / her and not hired to him / her under a hire purchase or leasing agreement . This extension of cover, known as "Driving Other Cars" (where it is granted) usually applies to the Policyholder only . The cover provided is for Third Party Risks only and there is absolutely no cover for loss of or damage to the vehicle being driven . This aspect of UK motor insurance is the only one that purports to cover the driving of a vehicle, not use . </P> <P> On 1 March 2011 the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg ruled that gender could no longer be used by insurers to set car insurance premiums . The new ruling will come into action from December 2012 . </P>

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