Every year uninsured drivers cost over £500 million in damages, no one likes the idea of subsidising someone else’s faults but still this figure remains ridiculously high. So high that the number of people caught driving without insurance has increased by almost a fifth in the past two years.
The problem people have put forward is that it is illegal to drive an uninsured vehicle on the road, but not illegal to own an uninsured car but the owner needs to store the car off the road preferably in a garage in order to ensure it qualifies as not on the road. Hard to believe since chances are sooner or later if someone owns an uninsured car then they’re going to drive it whether it’s all the time or just to the shops one time a week. This is an obvious annoyance to all the insured drivers since uninsured drivers are responsible for an extra £30 on annual premiums.
So why are people driving uninsured? The obvious reason is that the car may not be legal i.e. stolen or not roadworthy. A lot of uninsured drivers are the same ones who are also untaxed. A study by the West Midlands Police showed that people who are uninsured are ten times likely to have other driving convictions such as drink driving and are six times more likely to have an unroadworthy car.
But the prime suspects for this practice are younger drivers. Most accidents involving uninsured drivers are quite often younger drivers in the 17 – 21 age group. Whilst this may seem apt some are arguing that they are being priced out of the
car insurance market with recent increases to young drivers’ premiums of up to 22%, compared to 2% for other drivers. Many young drivers are under the illusion that getting caught driving without insurance will cost a £150-£200 fine, less than a fifth of what they’d have to pay on insurance premiums. This is being combated by the police threatening to crush their vehicle if they do not pay extra fees and produce a valid car insurance policy note.
It has been put forward that car insurance companies should appeal to younger drivers but it is proving tough to shake the high risk label. With some insurers it is possible to get a reduction on
car insurance quotes by taking advanced driving classes such as the “Pass-Plus” scheme that teaches young drivers more advanced skills than simply passing their driving test.
It is hoped that if insurers change their view of young drivers that more would be able to afford
motor insurance and get a reduction of up to £100 million on the money being spent on uninsured drivers.
