Admiral logoRussian Dolls top banner

MultiCar Insurance

Combine cars on
one policy for
MultiCar discounts.

Start a quote

Find out more

Retrieve a quote

Single-Car Insurance

Great value car insurance
quotes crammed with plenty
of features.

Start a quote

Find out more

Retrieve a quote

Give us a call

Talk to a friendly
member of staff.

Single-Car Insurance

0844 543 4416

MultiCar Insurance

0844 848 4316

Back to Motoring news

Motoring news

1.7 million 'drive without car insurance'

24/09/2009

Five per cent of motorists are driving without insurance, an industry report estimates.

And the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) says that the figure equates to almost 1.7 million uninsured vehicles on UK roads.

In its Stay Insured report, the MIB says that the problem is most prevalent in young motorists. While only 14% of the driving population are aged between 21 and 29, this group alone is thought to contain more than a third (34%) of all uninsured motorists.

The report finds that only 60% of drivers feel they are likely to be caught if they drive without insurance, but points to increasingly effective police tactics - such as automatic number plate recognition cameras - which are contributing to more than 200,000 uninsured driving convictions each year.

And research conducted for the Admiral Survey of British Motorists confirms the scale of the problem. While 47% of respondents said that uninsured driving merited a fine of more than £1,000 - and 21% that it should be punishable with a prison sentence - 8% admitted that they had knowingly driven without insurance.

Car insurance is a legal requirement for anyone driving on public roads in the UK, and the Government is proposing to extend the law to cover all vehicles - whether being driven or not.

The MIB explains that, under the current rules, motorists caught without insurance automatically have their cars confiscated, are charged a £200 fixed penalty, and are given six points on their licence.

"The number of drivers across the UK who were caught without insurance last year would fill Wembley Stadium more than twice," said MIB chief executive Ashton West.

"The message to motorists is clear: driving uninsured is simply not worth the risk."