Motoring news
15/07/2008
Industry experts reveal extent of drivers without car insurance
Dramatic figures from the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) reveal the extent of motorists who do not have car insurance driving on UK roads.
For example, in Peterborough, one in every 20 drivers is doing so whilst uninsured.
The statistics reveal that out of 123,134 cars in the city, 6,681 (5 per cent) do not possess motor insurance cover.
More astonishingly, in the PE1 postcode area, the city centre, the number rises to one in six drivers (16 per cent).
Unsurprisingly, the research states that uninsured drivers are more likely to ignore road and speed regulations and are more likely to be involved in a car accident.
In Cambridgeshire last year there were 1,125 road traffic accidents that involved motorists without insurance cover.
These offenders are three times more likely to get a conviction for careless driving, six times more likely to be prosecuted for driving an unroadworthy vehicle and 10 times more likely to drive whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
A police spokesperson said: "There is still a number of drivers who think it is acceptable to drive without insurance. "These people are a menace on the roads, creating a danger to themselves and others. "We will continue our robust enforcement of the law, seizing any vehicles we find being driven illegally." A duck2water car insurance spokesperson commented, "These figures are startling and when put into a national context, very disturbing indeed."