Shocking Number of People Drive Without Car Insurance

According to a survey by price comparison site moneysupermarket.com 1 in 7 British drivers admit to driving without car insurance. Other surprising findings by the website include the revelation that 15% of motorists said they have driven a car in the past which they were not insured to drive and a further 6% of those questioned had driven their own vehicle without insurance.

"Anyone who drives without car insurance, no matter how short the distance and whether it's their car or someone else’s is breaking the law." Richard Mason, the director of insurance at moneysupermarket.com has warned. The study also revealed that men were twice more likely to break the law by driving without insurance than women. If any of these people had been caught driving without car insurance they would have faced a £200 fine, might have had their car confiscated and would have got 6 points on their license.

The Fair Investment Company have published statistics from the Motor Insurer’s Bureau which say that uninsured drivers are: “More than 10 times more likely to have a drink driving conviction, six times more likely to drive an unsafe vehicle and account for 160 deaths on UK roads each year.” A whopping 22 % of all the people questioned admitted to driving their cars while uninsured. Younger drivers were also revealed to be more likely to risk driving without car insurance according to statistics.

Claims made by uninsured drivers cost the industry over £500 million every year and this means law-abiding consumers must pay more on their premiums as a result. The maximum penalty for driving without a license is £5,000. In an article which featured on the website of the Department for Transport Road Safety, Minister David Jamieson said: "We're proposing to give the police powers to seize vehicles being used by uninsured drivers. Getting these vehicles off the road will improve road safety for everyone and reduce the nuisance people experience when they try to make a claim off someone who turns out to be uninsured.” He added: "Honest motorists are fed up with the menace of uninsured driving. Not only do they add about £30 to every insurance policy, they are also more likely to break other traffic law - such as driving dangerous vehicles. We're already making progress in reducing the number of people who drive uninsured, but these measures will bring that number down further."

Furthermore, according to other studies which were performed on behalf of The RAC
Foundation uninsured drivers now account for 5% of all motorists. 13% of young drivers think that driving without car insurance is a victimless crime, but accident statistics involving uninsured cars show that their health could be at risk.

According to www.RACfoundation.org: “The Foundation is calling for a police crackdown on uninsured drivers. As databases are improved there will be an important role for Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras (ANPR) to help the police target uninsured drivers. It would also help to have more traffic police on the roads as a visual deterrent.”

The website also says: “The Foundation supports new police powers that will allow them to seize and in appropriate cases destroy vehicles that are being driven uninsured. If drivers do get stopped for driving without insurance, many of them will gamble that they will be given a £200 fine which is often a fraction of what they would have had to pay for insurance. If offenders cannot afford to pay fines then other appropriate punishments such as community service should be demanded.”