Father calls for reform to 'grey area' car insurance

The father of a motorcyclist killed in a road traffic collision is calling for changes to the legal "grey area" of car insurance renewal checks.

Cameron Arneaud, 20, from Bedford, died in a crash at Finedon, Northamptonshire, on 22 December 2023.

His father Daniel believes stricter insurance checks could have prevented his son's death, after the driver involved had overstayed his student visa, which had been revoked - rendering his driving licence and insurance invalid.

Syed Bukhari, 27, from Luton, Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving and was sentenced to 30 weeks in prison at Northampton Crown Court.

Mr Arneaud said: "The onus of liability is on the policyholder, yet ironically, no responsibility lies with the insurance company.

"If insurers had properly checked, Mr Bukhari wouldn't have been insured, therefore would not have been on the road, and my son would still be alive."

A resident in the UK can drive for 12 months on a non-UK licence but then has to apply for a UK licence.

At the moment, insurance companies carry out checks on UK licences but are unable to check overseas licences, nor an applicant's immigration status, relying on the honesty of the applicant.

Mr Arneaud wants that to change, and for insurance companies to carry out more checks on non-UK drivers.

He said that if Bukhari had not been able to get insurance, he would have not been on the road - or would have been stopped by police.

"It's a really hurtful grey area when these tragedies happen," he said.

"Balancing this campaign to change this awful reality for anybody else is something which give me and his mum real weight to move forward and give Cameron a legacy that will change this UK law."

The family is now working with Bedford MP Richard Fuller to push for reforms, with hopes to launch an online petition later this month.

A spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers said: "Insurers don't have access to an individual's immigration status, which is the responsibility of the Home Office.

"If circumstances related to your insurance policy change, you must inform your insurer immediately.

"Failure to do so can invalidate a policy, and driving uninsured carries the risk of a criminal conviction, significant costs against you if you're involved in an accident and could impact on eligibility for future cover."

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Driving without a valid licence and insurance is dangerous and rightly illegal.

"Police have tough powers to arrest illegal drivers, and those caught face the full force of the law, including jail time."

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