Uninsured drivers on UK roads at its lowest in 7 years

There has been a 33 per cent drop in the number of drivers who have been stopped without insurance in 2018 compared with the previous year, according to new figures from RAC Insurance.

A Freedom of Information (FoI) request to the DVLA found that the number of people caught breaking the law by driving without insurance has dropped from 118,698 in 2017 to 79,713 in 2018.

Under current laws, using a vehicle while uninsured carries six to eight penalty points which must stay on the motorist’s record for four years from the time of being caught.

There was a total of 872 offences where those under the age of 17 were caught on public roads, with two of the offenders just 11 years old. This is 47 per cent less than in 2017 (1,644 offences) and 31 per cent less than in 2012 (1,255). According to the recent data, the highest number of drivers below the legal driving age who were caught was in 2016 at 1,652.

Twenty-four-year olds were responsible for generating the highest number of uninsured drivers, with 3,309 offenders penalised last year.

RAC Insurance Director, Mark Godfrey, concluded:

“Even though the figures show an improvement in compliance, the law demands that every driver has insurance. This is to protect everyone who uses the road.”

Driving Without Insurance – Expert Legal Advice in Scotland

At the beginning of the year, Police Scotland launched a crackdown on uninsured drivers after an estimated 40,000 motorists without insurance were predicted to be on Scotland’s roads. In 2018, Motor Insurers’ Bureau Police Helpline received more than 10,000 calls from officers at the roadside who questioned the insurance status of drivers, resulting in thousands of vehicles seized.

Deputy head of road policing, Superintendent Louise Blakelock, commented:

“The legislation is there to protect all road users and if a vehicle is driven without a valid insurance policy, there is an obvious road safety risk, additionally the minimum fine for an insurance offence is £300 and six penalty points on their licence.”

Uninsured and hit and run drivers cause 130 deaths and more than 26,000 injuries every year, according to government statistics.

Contact our Road Traffic Lawyers Edinburgh, Scotland

If you have been charged with driving a car whilst uninsured, it is imperative you speak with a specialist road traffic lawyer who can provide you with expert legal advice and representation. Contact Thorley Stephenson SSC's motoring offence solicitors today via the online enquiry form.