Uninsured drivers have “nowhere to hide” as police seized 138,000 vehicles last year

Those choosing to drive without car insurance are being warned that “there’s nowhere to hide” as new figures show police seized an uninsured vehicle every four minutes across the UK last year.

Statistics from the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) show that in 2024, 138,000 vehicles were taken off the roads by police due to the lack of a valid insurance policy, with over 860 seized within the 1.1 square mile jurisdiction of the City of London Police alone. 

Such a lofty figure may not be surprising given the MIB estimates that 300,000 uninsured vehicles hit the road every day in the UK, with the total number over the course of a year surpassing one million.

While some of these uninsured vehicles are undoubtedly being driven by drivers blissfully ignorant of their car’s lack of cover, the MIB says that there is a large proportion of them being driven around by criminals. 

Once a vehicle is recognised by automatic numberplate recognition cameras as not having insurance, a warning is sent to the registered keeper – according to the MIB, 63 per cent of drivers that fail to insure their car following this point are guilty of secondary convictions, be that drink/drug driving, financial crime or even more serious offences like drug running and modern-day slavery.

CoL Police’s Chief Inspector, Jo Cash, warned drivers that “If you are caught driving without insurance, you face severe penalties, including fines, points on your licence and the seizure of your vehicle”. Specifically, driving without valid insurance leaves offenders liable to an immediate £300 fine, which can also lead to a court referral and potentially an unlimited fine and driving ban. 

Young drivers at fault

Also subject to a driving ban are young drivers hitting the road without insurance, as doing so will net you six penalty points on your licence – the maximum you can receive in your first two years of driving. That’s not mentioning the fact that, as above, vehicles pulled over for this offence are likely to be seized, with one in three being scrapped, according to the MIB.

Such harsh punishments are used as a deterrent, given that the MIB estimates that every 20 minutes someone finds themselves a victim of an uninsured hit-and-run. In fact, the Bureau reckons uninsured collisions cost the UK taxpayer as much as £2.4 billion per year.

Referring to the high seizure statistics, law enforcement liaison officer at the MIB, Simon French, warned that “"Data shows us that those who deliberately drive uninsured cause more frequent and often more catastrophic collisions. We will continue to work together with a clear message: There is nowhere to hide. Drive with adequate insurance, or you will be caught."

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