Department for Transport cracks down on uninsured drivers

(28/01/2009)

Latest estimates are that around 6.5% (around 2 million) of GB motorists drive uninsured. The penalty for driving without insurance is a maximum fine of £5,000 and 6-8 penalty points. Around 300,000 offenders are convicted for uninsured driving every year.

Uninsured driving adds around £30 a year to every motorist's insurance premium - amounting to more than £400m a year in additional premiums. It is also estimated that uninsured and untraced drivers kill 160 people and injure 23,000 every year.

Tough new powers to tackle the selfish minority of uninsured drivers who cost law-abiding motorists £400m each year have been set out by Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick. The new measures will make it an offence to keep an uninsured vehicle - rather than just to drive when uninsured - making it easier to catch uninsured drivers and keep them off the roads.

Jim Fitzpatrick said: "The selfish minority of drivers who refuse to insure their cars push up premiums for other motorists and kill or injure thousands of people each year. Increased police powers already mean more than 400 uninsured vehicles are seized every day but these tough new measures will leave uninsured drivers with nowhere to hide."

Under the new system:
- The DVLA will work in partnership with the insurance industry to identify uninsured vehicles
- Motorists will receive a letter telling them that their vehicle appears to be uninsured and warning them that they will be fined unless they insure it within a set period
- If the keeper fails to insure the vehicle they will be given a £100 fine
- If the vehicle remains uninsured - regardless of whether the fine is paid - it could then be seized and destroyed.

The Government has already given the police powers to seize and destroy vehicles being driven uninsured, along with improved access to the Motor Insurance Database to enhance their capability to detect uninsured driving by using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) equipment. Police removed around 150,000 vehicles in 2007 - more than 400 a day.

Last year a new offence of causing death by driving while unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured was introduced.

Andy Leadbetter, managing director of insurance at moneysupermarket.com said: "I applaud the new initiative tightening up rules on uninsured vehicles. Anyone who drives without insurance, no matter how short the distance and whether it's their car or someone else’s, is breaking the law. Even worse they are putting themselves and others at risk. Responsible motorists have long paid the price for those motorists who get behind the wheel without insurance. The new Department for Transport measures1 should help to drive premiums down in the future; making our roads a safer place and hopefully our pockets a little healthier too."

“Uninsured drivers have long been an issue; 15 per cent of British motorists admit they have driven a car when they weren’t insured, almost one in ten (nine per cent) of which flouted the law in someone else's car and six per cent in their own2. Being caught without insurance already comes with a hefty punishment, with uninsured drivers looking at £200 on-the-spot fine, six points on their licence and their car impounded – but that’s clearly not enough. According to the new legislation, even motorists in possession of an uninsured vehicle will now incur a £100 fine.”

Related categories:  Bike insurance   Car insurance 

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