• New awareness campaign released to target uninsured drivers
• Uninsured and ‘hit and run’ drivers take a life every three days

A new video released today, ‘Protection’, aims to improve public awareness that car insurance is a legal requirement. This is the second video released by MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau), a not-for-profit body, as part of its Gone in Seconds campaign (www.goneinseconds.org.uk).

Figures released today by MIB show that every three days someone is involved in an accident with an uninsured or ‘hit and run’ driver which will ultimately lead to a fatality. This highlights the impact of uninsured drivers and the need to reduce the one million who are still using the UK’s national road network without insurance.

MIB settles about 25,000 claims a year and on average 120 relate to an accident where someone has died at the hands of a driver who either had no insurance or left the scene.

Ashton West OBE, MIB Chief Executive, said: “The numbers of claims handled by MIB each year highlights the devastating impact of uninsured driving on communities and families up and down the country.

“We are aiming this new awareness campaign at motorists who are driving without insurance. The video brings to light the importance of protection when it comes to car insurance. We think this is something that everyone will understand. We want people to talk about this and encourage anyone they know who is driving without insurance, to change their behaviour.”

There are consequences for driving without insurance as well as keeping a car without insurance.

For those caught driving without insurance the consequences include:

• seizure of the vehicle by police
• six points on their driving licence
• £300 fixed penalty fine.

Registered keepers, whose vehicle is not declared as off the road (SORN), must have insurance. Penalties under continuous insurance enforcement include:

• a fixed penalty of £100
• having the vehicle clamped, seized and destroyed
• Court prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.