Majority of people convicted for uninsured driving are men

Men are three times more likely than women to hold a conviction for uninsured driving and it is the spiralling cost of insurance that causes mainly young drivers to risk this, according to research from Confused.com.

Confused.com's recent price index revealed 17 - 20 year olds have seen prices rise by a massive £616 over the last 12 months and the average premium now stands at £2080.   Regionally, Bradford tops the league for uninsured drivers giving way to rises of up to 58% on insurance premiums for people living in the area.

Will Thomas, head of motor at Confused.com, said:  "Uninsured drivers are costing the insurance industry around £500 million a year which unfortunately means higher premiums for law-abiding motorists. Covering the cost of uninsured drivers adds around £30 to every honest motorist's policy and is no doubt part of the reason why insurance premiums have gone up a massive 37% over the course of the year, with more rises likely to follow.

But Confused.com points out there are steps people can take to reduce their premium without sacrificing essential cover to save money. No two providers assess risk in the same way; some specialize in young drivers, female drivers or those without no-claims bonus. With this in mind it is important to shop around and not to be haunted by scary renewals.

Thomas continues "The consequences of gambling with cover are not worth the risk. Those struggling to pay for insurance and considering going without are likely to be unable to afford to repair their vehicle in the event of an accident. It is also unlikely that will be able to meet the cost of repairs or any legal proceedings if they damage another person's vehicle or cause injury."