An intensive day of action has seen 43 uninsured vehicles taken off the road across Luton.

On 11 March, the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit (BCH RPU) and MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) worked together to focus on LU1, LU2, LU3 and LU4 post code areas, reminding drivers it is their responsibility to ensure appropriate motor insurance is in place.

The MIB-led operation saw BCH RPU officers, backed by Bedfordshire Police’s community policing teams, dedicate time to tackling uninsured driving in efforts to increase road safety across the region.

Uninsured driving is, sadly, not a standalone issue so vehicle stops also helped identify other criminal activity. On top of the 43 vehicles seized for no or inadequate insurance, a further 8 were seized for other offences such as no tax, no licence, or driving unaccompanied under a provisional licence. Multiple instances of trade insurance being misused were identified, as well as illegal number plates and ghost number plates – designed to obscure some or all of the characters when pictured by ANPR cameras.

Most notably, the day saw three vehicles seized at separate times, but all linked to one person. The man first had his car seized after stating he was using a trade policy, whilst the insurer found no record of the vehicle on the relevant policy. Just a few minutes later, his wife’s vehicle was also seized for the same offence. Then, when the man returned with a friend to speak with police, his friend’s vehicle was also then found to not be adequately insured and subsequently seized by police.

Through the collaboration with MIB - the UK entity that exists to protect people from the devastation of uninsured and hit-and-run drivers - the BCH RPU was able to harness uninsured vehicle hotspot data to maximise the impact of the operation.

MIB data released in November 2024 revealed that the LU1 to LU4 postcodes make up four of the top five hotspots in Bedfordshire. This means that the areas are potentially high-risk locations with a persistent problem of uninsured drivers. Utilising such data-driven insights from MIB allowed activity to be strategically deployed in the different postcode areas.

Officers also utilised a number of methods to identify uninsured drivers, including:

• Navigate, the central record of all active motor insurance policies which is managed by MIB.
• Operation Tutelage markers, where cars passing ANPR cameras on previous occasions have been compared to data held on Navigate. Uninsured vehicles with an Operation Tutelage marker are then flagged to police and dealt with roadside.  
• Predictive Movements provided by MIB, to narrow down the expected movements of known uninsured vehicles.
• ANPR monitoring, identifying vehicles passing static cameras to enable officers to focus efforts on suspected instances of non-insurance.

To support the force, four MIB law enforcement liaison officers joined the operation to provide roadside checking of Navigate and a direct link to the MIB Police Helpline, speeding up the process of confirming the insurance status of stopped vehicles.

Whilst police seized over 1,300 uninsured vehicles in Bedfordshire last year, it’s hoped that the highly focused day of activity will serve as a further deterrent to those who believe they can get away with not insuring their vehicle or driving under the wrong class-of-use for their needs.

Local motorists are also being encouraged to check their insurance policies, with MIB acknowledging that while most drivers aim to be law-abiding, some may fall foul of common insurance pitfalls. Simple errors such as bounced payments, failed auto-renewal or mistyped vehicle registrations can result in driving around unwittingly uninsured.

Chief Inspector Stephen O’Keeffe, Head of the BCH RPU, said: “This targeted operation, in partnership with the MIB, focused our collective efforts on areas known for their high levels of uninsured driving. By pinpointing these locations and working together we have proactively apprehended these drivers, demonstrating that if you drive without insurance, we can, and will, find you.”

Martin Saunders, Head of Uninsured Driving Prevention at MIB said: “We know that our police colleagues deal with conflicting priorities and pressures. By supporting the BCH Road Policing Unit in designating time to focus on uninsured driving, we know the benefits will be widely felt across all different areas of the county and the community, making local and even national roads safer.

"We will continue to work with the force year-round to make sure those choosing to drive uninsured have nowhere to hide.”