Calls for news careless driving rules to be extended

In response to new careless driving laws which come into force today, Direct Line is calling for the legislation to be extended to all uninsured motorists on our roads, not just those who cause fatalities.The new measures carry custodial prison sentences of up to two years for causing death by driving while uninsured, unlicensed or disqualified.

Maggie Game, Head of Car Insurance at Direct Line, says, "Direct Line welcomes the new laws which come into force today, however the measures do not go far enough to combat the threat of uninsured drivers on our roads. Direct Line calls for an urgent review of penalties for all uninsured drivers who are found to be driving on the UK's roads without insurance, not only those who cause fatalities.

"Uninsured drivers are far more likely to be young and have prior driving convictions, and with an estimated 1.5 million uninsured drivers on our roads, they pose a significant risk to responsible road users. With accidents involving uninsured drivers killing around 200 people each year and figures revealing average fines have fallen from £224 to £185 over the last decade, more needs to be done to discourage this dangerous practice."

"Uninsured drivers don't intentionally try and kill other road users, so these laws are unlikely to act as a disincentive to the vast majority of uninsured drivers. The law needs to hold uninsured drivers responsible for their actions before they cause fatalities on our roads.

"With uninsured drivers costing British society around £500 million each year and adding around £30 to insured drivers' premiums, uninsured drivers must be adequately penalised for causing any type of injury to other motorists or damage to other vehicles, not just in the event of a fatality."

Direct Line is one of the few insurers to offer as standard a nil excess and maintain its customer's No Claims Discount if they are hit by an uninsured driver. With uninsured drivers already adding around £30 to everyone's insurance premium, Direct Line recognises drivers shouldn't have to pay even more if they are hit by an uninsured driver.