Over 30 additional Police Scotland officers have collaborated with MIB today, 3 October, to crack down on uninsured driving.

The MIB (Motor Insurers' Bureau) initiative has seen uninsured vehicles stopped and seized along the 60-mile length of the M8 motorway from Edinburgh City Bypass to Langbank.

Uninsured driving is, sadly, not a standalone issue, so stopping an uninsured vehicle can help identify individuals of interest, stolen vehicles or property, and wider crime networks. Of the 109 stops made, over a third (36%) uncovered secondary offences, including drug offences and vehicles in an unroadworthy condition. With the operation still in action, further risks are expected to be removed from the M8.

This was the third in a series of operations along major UK motorways, following the success of Operation M4 in April and Operation M62 in July. The series is led by MIB, the UK entity that exists to protect people from the devastation of uninsured and hit-and-run drivers. MIB’s support has allowed forces along the major road networks to dedicate additional officers, marked vehicles, ANPR cameras, control room operatives and intel staff to taking uninsured vehicles off the road.

Across the day, over 30 additional road policing officers along the M8 utilised several methods to identify uninsured drivers. This included:

• Operation Tutelage markers, where cars passing ANPR cameras on previous occasions have been compared to data held on Navigate, the record of all active motor insurance policies which is managed by MIB. Uninsured vehicles with an Operation Tutelage marker are then flagged to police and dealt with roadside.
• Using police intelligence and analysis to establish the whereabouts of uninsured vehicles.

To support the force, MIB law enforcement liaison officers joined officers at the roadside. This enabled a direct link to Navigate and to the MIB Police Helpline, speeding up the process of confirming a vehicles’ insurance status.

MIB are already in the process of exploring future collaborative operations on other major UK road networks, as part of their £5 million investment to reduce uninsured driving.

Martin Saunders, Head of Enforcement at MIB, said “We know that uninsured driving is just one of many pressing priorities for our police colleagues. As we run our third operation along a major motorway, it’s clear that supporting forces in designating time to focus on uninsured driving allows this issue to be tackled in a targeted manner.

“With the clear links to other offences, we know the benefits of Operation M8 will be widely felt across all different areas of the community, making the motorway and its surrounding areas safer.

“We’re proud to have partnered with Police Scotland today. This operation is just one more way, alongside a wider range of initiatives, in which we’re making sure that those flouting the law have nowhere to hide.”

Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, Police Scotland, said: “This operation is an effective way of reducing the number of uninsured vehicles on our roads.

“If you have no valid insurance, you have no legal right to be on the road, and I would encourage the public to continue to report drivers who they believed are not insured.

"Police Scotland is committed to keeping the roads safe in collaboration with key partners and this operation allows officers to take action against those who deliberately break the law and put other road users in danger.”

Chief Superintendent Marc Clothier, Head of National Roads Policing Operations Intelligence and Investigations (NRPOII), said "It is essential that we Police our Roads together and I am really pleased to see MIB joining forces with Police Scotland to tackle uninsured drivers on the M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

"We know uninsured drivers are more likely to be involved in fatal and fail to stop collisions, and there is also a strong link between uninsured driving and other criminal offences. "This collaborative approach is a fantastic way to ensure we are both effective and efficient in taking risk off our roads."