New figures have shown that there has been a 20% drop in the number of motorists driving without insurance although the UK still has the highest level of uninsured drivers in Europe.
The figures, from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), show that during 2009 approximately 1.5 million drivers did not have motor insurance compared to 1.8 million in 2005 but that the total number of uninsured drivers was about 4% of all drivers, higher than anywhere else in Europe.
Other statistics showed the effects with 160 killed in accidents involving uninsured drivers each year and 23,000 injured with these road accidents costing insurers about £500m and adding the equivalent of £30 to the cost of policies.
The police action to tackle the problem includes using automatic number plate recognition technology and information from the Motor Insurance Database. With this information they were able to seize 180,000 uninsured vehicles last year alone and the MIB calls the 20% reduction a step in the right direction.
Ashton West, its chief executive said: “The level of seizures and criminal convictions demonstrates that uninsured drivers are consistently being caught and removed from the road. We understand that times are tough and finances may be squeezed but motor insurance is a legal requirement. Even though the number of new claims reported to MIB is reducing, the costs to the industry and ultimately the honest motorist are just too high."
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