Over 3m drivers have been in a crash with an uninsured driver

Research from Direct Line and road safety charity Brake has revealed that 3.3 million drivers (one in ten), have been involved in a collision with a driver who was uninsured.

The danger that uninsured drivers bring to the roads is very real. Of those crashes involving uninsured drivers, 25 per cent ended up with someone being injured, of which four per cent left at least one person dead.

The survey found that all too often it is law abiding drivers who are injured. Fifteen per cent of drivers, who have been in a crash with an uninsured driver, said that they had been hurt and 10 per cent said their passengers had been hurt.

Not only are uninsured drivers causing death and injury on our roads, their attitude at the scene of crashes underlines their lack of concern for the safety of others and an overriding priority not to get caught.  In 17 per cent of collisions, the uninsured driver did not stop and left the scene. Even when they did stop, they still tried to evade being caught; 32 per cent lied and said they were insured and 23 per cent tried ‘not get the insurers involved'.

Andy Goldby, Director of Motor Underwriting at Direct Line car insurance said: "Whilst uninsured drivers cost every honest motorist £30 a year, the real cost is the devastation they cause to other road users' lives.  Uninsured drivers not only show disregard for the law but for other people too.  To leave the scene of a crash where people are injured or worse, or try to wrangle their way out of it, shows their lack of personal responsibility. That is why harsher penalties are required: it is not a ‘harmless' or ‘victimless' crime".

Julie Townsend, Campaigns Director at Brake, said: "It's shocking that so many drivers have been injured in a crash with an uninsured driver, underlining just how huge this problem is. Research shows that people who take to the road uninsured are more likely to crash and cause tragic deaths and injuries, so it's vital that we see action to remove these highly irresponsible and illegal drivers from our roads. We welcome the Government and Motor Insurers' Bureau's new initiative to step up enforcement on this issue, and we hope this will leave uninsured drivers with nowhere to hide."

The research also revealed the likelihood of being involved in a collision with an uninsured driver, dramatically changes depending where you live in the country. In London, 15 per cent of drivers have been involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, closely followed by the West Midlands (14 per cent) and the North East (13 per cent).

Continuous Insurance Enforcement

In the coming months Continuous Insurance Enforcement will be launched to tackle uninsured driving. Under the new powers it will be an offence to keep an uninsured vehicle, rather than just to drive, when uninsured.

Under the new system:

The DVLA will work in partnership with the Motor Insurers' Bureau to identify uninsured vehicles.

Motorists will receive a letter telling them that their vehicle appears to be uninsured and warning them that they will be fined unless they take action.

If the keeper fails to insure the vehicle they will be given a £100 fine.

If the vehicle remains uninsured - regardless of whether the fine is paid - it could then be seized and destroyed.