The short version
- Put safety and treatment first
- Report promptly
- Preserve registration and footage
- Use the official MIB eligibility route
Uninsured and untraced are different
An uninsured case normally involves an identified driver without valid insurance. An untraced case involves a driver who cannot be identified, often after leaving the scene.
The MIB uses different agreements and requirements. Select the correct route and provide accurate information rather than guessing status.
Preserve useful evidence
Record a full or partial registration, vehicle description, direction of travel and driver details. Ask witnesses to note their own recollection and identify doorbell, traffic, bus, helmet or shop cameras.
Keep police details, medical information, repair assessments, damaged equipment and proof of financial loss. Give evidence to police rather than confronting a suspected driver.
Start with the official process
The MIB provides an online route for claims involving uninsured, untraced and foreign-registered vehicles. Its agreements determine eligibility, evidence, exclusions and time limits.
Notify any personal insurance that may apply. Serious injury, disputed facts, children and long-term loss warrant qualified legal advice promptly.
Use several layers of risk reduction
Roadworthy brakes, secure wheels, observation, a suitable route and predictable positioning work together. Clothing, reflective details and a helmet may be part of a rider's personal strategy, but none replaces a mechanically sound bicycle or attention to the road environment.
Check the current Highway Code and lighting requirements rather than relying on an old summary. Conditions change by time of day, traffic level and weather, so a route that feels comfortable in daylight may need a different alternative after dark.
Prepare for foreseeable problems
Tell someone the route for an unfamiliar or longer ride, keep a charged phone and carry tools only when they fit the bicycle and you know how to use them. Slow down for poor visibility, wet surfaces, pedestrians, horses and junctions where another road user may not have seen you.
After a near miss or equipment problem, review what happened without assuming a single cause. A route change, earlier signal, different road position, service or additional light may each address a different part of the risk.
Check the current guidance
Rules, schemes and product ranges can change. These live links are the authoritative or independent starting points used for this guide.