Operation Drive Insured claims over 3,500 seizures

Police forces across the UK recently took part in the second national week of action tackling uninsured driving. Operation Drive Insured (ODI) took place 16 - 22 October 2017, and was jointly organised by MIB and the Police.

During the week-long campaign, more than 3,500 uninsured vehicles were seized, with around 1,000 of the seizures supported by the MIB Police Helpline.

The week also saw a number of high profile arrests. A no-insurance “hit” on Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras led to the apprehension of one of the West Midlands Police’s most wanted criminals, while in South Wales a suspected sex offender was arrested.

Increased public awareness is an important part of the battle against uninsured driving so social media engagement was a key objective of the campaign around ODI. MIB’s Twitter engagement saw an increase of 500% on 2016, and a 20% increase in followers. The hashtag #OpDriveInsured trended on Twitter during the first part of the week and the overall reach of Facebook posts grew by 120%.

The campaign was covered by television and radio stations across the Midlands, Scotland, Greater London and East Anglia, reaching more than two million viewers and listeners.

Planning is already underway for the next ODI campaign, specifically targeting Scotland and due to take place from 22 to 28 January 2018. To get involved contact pbennett@mib.org.uk our National Police Liaison Officer.

A provisional date for next year’s national ODI campaign has been set for 15 - 21 October 2018. Look out for more information on this in 2018.

We would like to thank Police forces and insurers for their support during this operation. The campaign was a huge success and would not have been possible without the valued support from our Members and stakeholders. We look forward to collaborating in 2018 to continue to improve the effectiveness of the campaign and make a real impact on the number of uninsured drivers on UK roads.