1.15 million admit to driving without insurance

Alarming new research from Sainsbury's Car Insurance reveals that 1.15 million people have admitted to having driven a car in the last 12 months, without having insurance. Nearly two-fifths of these people were aged 17 - 24 and a further 22% were aged 25 - 34.

It is illegal to drive a car without insurance, and penalties for those caught doing this include fines, being banned from driving and even having your car crushed! The number of court cases against uninsured drivers in 2005 - the latest figures available - was 392,763. The cost of uninsured motorists adds an extra £25 to £30 to the average annual car insurance premium.

On a regional basis, 6% of people in London have admitted to driving in the past year without having car insurance - the highest for any part of Britain.

Of those people interviewed who admitted to driving without insurance over the past 12 months, 19% said it was because they could not afford it; the same percentage said that they did not think it was necessary to have, 13% said that they forgot to purchase it. 13% also said that they did not have time to arrange car insurance.

As well as offering competitive premiums, Sainsbury's Car Insurance also offers motorists an extensive range of cover and benefits. This includes a courtesy car when using one of its recommended repairers (comprehensive cover only) and a no claim discount of 70% if you take out a policy and have not made a claim in the past five years, rising to 75% after a further five years' claim free driving with Sainsbury's Car Insurance. It is also one of only a few providers to offer new for old replacement child car seats after an accident as a standard feature of its comprehensive policy, even when there is no visible damage, as well as support and compensation if you're a victim of car jacking or road rage.