U.K. Police To Check Insurance On-line

British police will soon be able to use a new program to run roadside checks on drivers to see if they carry insurance coverage.

A new computer database, sponsored by U.K. insurers and established by the government, will give police access via the Police National Computer to insurance company records.

On the spot checks will mean that insured drivers can avoid a trip to the local police station with their insurance documents, but it will also Make it easier for the police to apprehend uninsured motorists. Some estimates have put the total of uninsured motorists in the U.K. at over 1.5 million.