Five police forces recently participated in a first of its kind operation, tackling uninsured driving along the length of the M4 from London to Swansea.
The MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) initiative involved officers from South Wales, Gwent, Avon and Somerset, Wiltshire, and Thames Valley police forces.
Thousands of vehicle registration plates were checked against the MID, the register of all live insurance policies within the UK. In total, 109 vehicles were stopped, resulting in 51 vehicle seizures, plus five arrests and seven prosecutions for other offences.
More than a quarter of the stops uncovered secondary offences, including stolen vehicles, driving under the influence of drink and/or drugs and driving without a licence or while disqualified.
MIB says this operation is the first of a series of multi-force one-day operations across UK motorways.
Martin Saunders, head of enforcement at MIB, said: “We know that all priorities are pressing for our police colleagues. Whilst we work with the police throughout the year, supporting forces in designating time to focus on uninsured driving allows this issue to be tackled head on in a targeted way.
“We know the benefits will be widely felt across all different areas of the force and the community, making the M4 and surrounding areas safer.
“These multi-force operations are just one more way, in a wider range of initiatives, in which we’re making sure that those flouting the law have nowhere to hide.”
Across the day, officers utilised a number of methods to identify uninsured drivers, including the usage of ANPR technology.
Supt Ryan Francis, from Gwent Police, said “We’re delighted to have MIBs support, and to work with the other M4 services, in tackling an issue that reaches much further than what is seen on the surface. We know that through our efforts today, we’ll have stopped stolen and cloned vehicles, individuals with outstanding court warrants, and disqualified drivers, alongside identifying other traffic offences that pose a risk.
“This collaborative approach provides both focus and attention to a really serious problem in all areas of the UK.”
Chief constable Jo Shiner, Sussex Police – and NPCC lead for roads policing – said: “Tackling the fatal 4 offences remains a daily priority for all police forces, but when initiatives such as ‘Operation M4’ are deployed onto our roads we can really see how working together saves lives.
“The M4 is an important strategic road and this operation will make a significant contribution to the National Police Chiefs Council’s ‘Fatal 4’ operation running throughout April.”
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