Clampdown on ringing will cut cost of insurance

A major new anti-theft initiative could help cut the cost of your next insurance renewal because it goes right to the heart of the bike-theft problem.

One of the biggest earners for thieves, particularly professional gangs, is to steal bikes for ” ringing. ” But very soon it’s going to become impossible to pass off stolen bikes under a new identity. Closing that door should mean the amount of bikes stolen will tumble, together with the cost of our cover.

Ringing and theft for spares costs us around £12 million a year.

To combat ringing, the Vehicle Inspectorate is planning to introduce VIC. It’s called Vehicle Identification Checks and is a £7 million scheme to work with insurers and the DVLA.

Police stolen vehicle expert Dr Ken German explained: ” Most of the 8000 bikes stolen every year are taken for ringing.

” A write-off wreck would be bought cheaply with all its paperwork. Then an identical model would be stolen to order. The identification from the wreck would be shifted to the stolen bike and it’s sold on at a huge profit. ”

The VIC system means that a write-off can’t be put on the road without the DVLA being alerted and the Inspectorate looking over the bike.

All write-offs will be listed in the VIC computer by insurers. None of these bikes will be able to get back on the road without a VIC inspection.

This will mean the owner taking the bike to an Inspectorate depot where it will be examined for signs of repairs or altered identification. The inspector will have a report on the reasons for the write-off, and be trained by police experts how to spot stolen parts and a ” rung ” bike.

Any stolen parts shown up during the check by Datatag, Smart Water security tagging or other security schemes, will be noted, and the police called in if necessary.

” Introducing VIC is a huge undertaking, ” said project manager Steve Cave. ” We are introducing it first for cars from April 2003 Motorcycles and other vehicles will be included later. ”

He said that was ” Because there’s a limit to how much work we can take on. ”

Bikes underwriting consultant Les Andrews commented: ” Premiums for specific models could be reduced if we see a marked downturn in thefts of those bikes – so popular bikes like the Honda FireBlade and the Yamaha R1 may become more affordable to insure. ”

Motorcycle representatives will be consulted before the scheme is extended to bikes.