One in seven motorists admit driving without insurance

Fifteen per cent of British motorists admit they have driven a car they were not insured to drive, according to new research.

The survey by price comparison site moneysupermarket.com found nine per cent of drivers had flouted the law in someone else's car and six per cent had driven their own car without cover.

Men are more than twice as likely as women to drive while uninsured, with 21 per cent admitting doing so. The survey also reveals younger drivers are the worst offenders, with 23 per cent of those in their twenties and 20 per cent of thirty-somethings saying they have driven without cover, compared to just ten per cent of drivers in their fifties.

Richard Mason, director of insurance at moneysupermarket.com, said: "Anyone who drives without insurance, no matter how short the distance and whether it's their car or someone else's, is breaking the law. Not only that, but it costs the insurance industry over £500 million each year in claims, which drives up the cost of insurance for responsible motorists.

"While the cost of insuring a car can be high for young males, they shouldn't be attracted by the false economy of skimping on insurance."

If caught without cover, uninsured drivers can get a £200 on-the-spot fine, six points on their licence and their car impounded. Uninsured drivers are 10 times more likely to have a drink driving conviction and six times more likely to be driving an unsafe vehicle and 160 deaths on UK roads each year involve uninsured driving.