Recent figures from the Danish Association for International Motor Vehicle Insurance (DFIM) show that there are 1,502 van and truck drivers in the country without liability insurance.
The DFIM survey found that there are a total of 11,334 uninsured vehicles – of which 1,431 are vans, 71 are trucks, and the rest are passenger cars. This means that every eighth commercial vehicle in Denmark is currently without liability insurance.
The figures have shocked Maria Clausen, the head of DFIM:
It’s not acceptable. Not only is it illegal, it is also not reassuring – neither for the owner or the user of the vehicle, for society or for all the customers who actually pay to be insured. There is a reason why this particular insurance is mandatory. This is because the damage you cause with your vehicle to people or other people’s property can run into millions of kroner – especially if the injured party suffers personal injuries, which could lead to disability and a loss of one’s ability to work.
According to Danish road transport website transportmagasinet.dk, anyone stopped by the police with an uninsured vehicle on a public road can be subject to a police fine of at least DKK 1,000 (roughly 134 euros).
On top of that, the police may confiscate the vehicle’s number plates and charge a daily fee of DKK 250 for each day the vehicle is not fully registered and insured. The fees also need to be paid first before any contract with insurance companies can be signed.
Photo credit: PickPik