Across just one week, 20-26 Nov, police roadside operations tackling uninsured driving have taken over 3,700 dangerous vehicles off the road.

This year's annual Operation Drive Insured – a vital annual road safety campaign – saw police across the UK take part in a week of action. Roadside operations took place in a bid to tackle the scourge of uninsured drivers, resulting in an estimated 3,736 seizures as well as 142 stolen vehicles being identified.

For some, the consequences of being found driving uninsured were even more severe as their link to secondary criminal activity was uncovered: A group seen driving uninsured heading from Wales towards London was stopped resulting in three arrests for Possession With Intent To Supply and Money Laundering, with £40,000 seized from the vehicle. Across the week, at least 134 arrests were made.

Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is hit by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver and, tragically, each day at least one person suffers injuries so severe they need life-long care.

MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) is committed to reducing uninsured driving. Working with partners at the NPCC’s National Roads Policing Operations, Intelligence and Investigations (NRPOII), and all 45 UK forces, to undertake initiatives such as the Operation Drive Insured campaign is just one of the ways the problem is being tackled in order to keep the public safe.

Sergeant Paul Cording, North Yorkshire Police Road Policing Group, said:

“Tackling this issue is hugely important as there is a clear link between those that drive without insurance and commit other offences. Being able to identify stolen vehicles and return them to their rightful owners, as well as take vehicles off the road that may be used in crimes such as drug dealing, money laundering or other serious crimes, keeps us all safer.”

Police used MIB’s Motor Insurance Database (MID) which is a national record of all motor insurance policies, to see if drivers are insured. To support forces further, MIB law enforcement liaison officers attended operations across the week to provide a direct link to the MID and MIB’s Police Helpline, which links with insurers to confirm the insurance status of vehicles to police at the roadside.

Crushing consequences

Uninsured drivers can have their vehicle seized (and potentially crushed), receive a £300 fixed penalty notice and six points on their licence. Furthermore, they could face court and receive an unlimited fine and/or a driving ban. A driving conviction can also impact job prospects.

So far this year, over 120,000 uninsured drivers have had their vehicle seized, with a third crushed.

Uninsured driving has a significant economic impact, with an average of £53 being added to every single annual motor premium to help compensate victims.

Furthermore, MIB estimates all injuries caused by uninsured and hit-and-run drivers to potentially cost the economy nearly £2.4 billion a year in emergency services, medical care, loss of productivity and human costs.

Paul Farley, National Law Enforcement Manager at MIB, said:

“Whilst we work closely with the police throughout the year, Operation Drive Insured brings this issue to the forefront. We take this time each year to get more dangerous uninsured vehicles off the road, as well as reaching as many people as possible who may be in need of checking their insurance status, or that their insurance cover is sufficient for their vehicle, journey or requirements.

“Tackling uninsured driving is more than getting people to pay premiums – we know those who deliberately drive uninsured cause more collisions too, so we’re making roads safer and fairer for everyone. Our message is simple: drive properly insured, or you will be caught.”

Prevention is better than cure

We know that not all uninured driving is intentional. In many cases, drivers may unwittingly drive without valid insurance because their policy has expired. This is why it is so important to:

• Not assume your motor insurance policy is set to auto-renew
• Check your payment method is still valid
• Not assume that fully-comprehensive cover allows you to drive someone else’s vehicle
• SORN a vehicle if it is being taken off the road and not used
• Check your insurance allows for the class-of-use required, such as commuting or making food or parcel deliveries

If you are unsure about your vehicles insurance status, you can check the Motor Insurance Database (MID) for free at www.mib.org.uk/driveinsured