Car Chute

31 Dec

500 uninsured cars seized daily, says industry body

Posted by: Auto Buff / Category: Motoring

Around 500 uninsured cars are seized by police every day, according to industry figures.

And the most commonly seized vehicle is the Vauxhall Astra, the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) says, accounting for almost one-in-five cars. In second place is the BMW 3 series, while the Vauxhall Vectra, Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Corsa complete the top five.

The figures are being used by the MIB – which deals with claims by victims of accidents involving uninsured drivers, or those who failed to stop – to highlight its suggestion that people “traditionally push any personal financial commitments to the back of their mind over the festive period”. It accompanies the launch of a new online video banner, fronted by presenter Natalie Pinkham, which warns of the consequences of driving without insurance.

In addition to vehicle seizure, uninsured drivers face a minimum of six penalty points on their licence, and a Â£200 fixed penalty. Meanwhile, those who have their cars seized must pay a Â£150 release fee – in addition to proving that they have insurance – to get their vehicle back.

MIB chief executive Ashton West said: “Christmas is a time when household budgets are stretched to the limit and for some, the renewal of insurance may be overlooked.

“Modern technology means that motorists who have no insurance are more likely than ever to be caught.

“It is simply not worth the risk.”

The MIB, which maintains the central database of all UK insured cars, is highlighting that the total cost of uninsured motoring is some Â£500 million. It says that its operations are funded through a levy on all UK insurers, constituting around Â£30 of the yearly premium for every insurance holder.

Last year, the MIB estimated that around 5% of UK motorists were driving without insurance – accounting for some 1.7 million uninsured cars on the road.

It says that the proposed continuous insurance enforcement scheme (CIE), which is set to come into effect in 2011, will result in higher levels of uninsured drivers being caught.

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