More than 200,000 drivers across the UK have points on their licence for driving without insurance, according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists).
The FOI request, directed to the DVLA, revealed that 194,997 full licence holders and 31,806 provisional licence holders have been caught driving without vehicle insurance and have received points for doing so.
The figure equates to more than one in every 200 people with a full UK driving license having been penalised for driving without insurance.
The figures also show that in both licence categories and all age groups, men are far more likely to commit this offence. In the 17-24 age category, men are four times more likely to have points on their licence for driving uninsured than women.
The figures also show that people in the 25-35 age category are most likely to drive uninsured, while drivers aged over 65 are least likely to do so.
Simon Best, IAM chief executive, said: “These findings are shocking. Those 200,000 individuals who drive whilst uninsured place the burden back on those who abide by the law through higher premiums and potentially the cost of vehicle repair.
“The most concerning fact is that this could just be the tip of the iceberg, as these numbers only represent those who have been caught and penalised. Insurance fraud and uninsured driving are also growing problems that need to be tackled through a coordinated approach from enforcement authorities. It is not acceptable that drivers pay up to £70 in higher premiums to compensate for those who ignore the law.”
Contact the IAM for more information.
This is of course the tip of the iceberg, these are the drivers caught without insurance, there are many more uninsured and less likely to be caught because of less roads policing. An ANPR camera will record them if they happen to pass by, but if it not registered to them, they are not stopped or traced.
Olly, Lancs
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