POLICE are on the lookout for uninsured vehicles on Warwickshire’s roads this week.
Warwickshire Police is supporting the national ‘Operation Drive Insured’ campaign aimed at reducing the numbers of uninsured drivers using the county’s roads.
During a week of enforcement action, officers are conducting an enhanced policing operation to detect and seize uninsured vehicles.
It coincides with a public awareness campaign coordinated by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) and partners, to help highlight the issue of uninsured driving.
Each year in the UK over 130 people are killed and 26,000 are left injured in collisions caused by uninsured and untraced drivers, linking them to nearly one in every five road traffic collisions. This equates to one casualty every 20 minutes.
In Warwickshire in 2018-19, officers issued 990 Traffic Offence Reports for the use of a vehicle without insurance.
The MIB also reports that uninsured drivers cause higher premiums for other drivers, having paid out £322million in compensation in 2019 to victims of uninsured and untraced drivers, and that the collisions they cause cost the wider economy a further £2billion a year in the cost of providing emergency services, medical care, loss of productivity and property damage.
Inspector Jem Mountford said: “Each year police forces collectively seize over 130,000 uninsured vehicles – one every four minutes.
“In Warwickshire in 2018-19, 1,587 uninsured vehicles were seized. These numbers are shocking especially when you consider that you can’t tax your car without having insurance in place so this is not the only offence being committed.
“This week of action is really important to protect the majority of law-abiding drivers using our roads in Warwickshire. Driving without insurance is not a victimless crime. Uninsured drivers are significantly more likely to cause a death or injury on the road and are also often involved in wider road crime.
“Warwickshire Police is urging all drivers to respect other road users and drive insured. Protecting the public and keeping our roads safe for everyone is our priority and removing uninsured drivers from our roads helps to do just that. “
Warwickshire Police is also warning motorists about ‘Ghost Brokers’ – fraudsters who pose as insurance providers to target people who struggle financially with unrealistically cheap fraudulent insurance deals on social media.
Uninsured drivers can have their vehicle seized and potentially crushed along with a £300 fixed penalty notice and six licence points. They can also face court and receive a driving ban and an unlimited fine. In Warwickshire in 2018-19, 995 uninsured vehicles were disposed of by crushing or selling.
Uninsured driving convictions also show on basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks which can impact employment prospects.
Report uninsured drivers to police by calling 101, calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
