[Cyclefrance]

This all sounds pretty heavy - don't think we have such a worrying procedure here. Normally insurance companies renew on the basis that if you say nothing cover is maintained. You still can then cancel and go elsewhere within a few days of anniversary date. If you did have a situation that insurance lapsed and there was a gap, nothing would happen.

You'd have to have an accident or be pulled up by the police, or other such incident for it to be picked up. Maybe not such a good practice as it encourages those who deliberately don't bother to get insured to get away with it... but on the plus side you don't end up becoming paranoid if it is a genuine error...