Uninsured driver hotspots EXPOSED: Interactive map lays bare 500 worst-offending areas... so is yours one of them?

Uninsured driver hotspots EXPOSED: Interactive map lays bare 500 worst-offending areas... so is yours one of them?
By: dailymail Posted On: November 18, 2024 View: 78

Britain's uninsured driver hotspots are today exposed by an interactive map.

Six of the 10 worst-offending neighbourhoods are in the West Midlands, according to the Motor Insurers' Bureau, which pays out claims for victims of uninsured driver and hit-and-run crashes.

Up to 300,000 vehicles take to UK roads every day without cover. 

Many are linked to organised crime, thievery or drink or drug driving.

Over the last two years, Croydon, South London, registered the most claims against uninsured drivers with a total of 30.

But it only ranked 176th on the hotspot list because of its dense population, with a rate of 18.9 uninsured driver claims per 100,000 people.

B11, an area directly south-east of Birmingham city centre, topped the table, seeing 51.8 claims per 100,000 people. 

The MIB compiled uninsured driving claims made between October 2022 and 2024 across all of the UK's millions of postcodes.

Claims were then aggregated for each area and compared to how many people live there, allowing them to work-out the hotspots.

Other areas which saw high levels of uninsured drivers were DA17 in Bexley (40.9 per 100,000) and WV2 in Wolverhampton (39.6).

Two areas of Brighton and Hove, BN2 and BN3, featured at the bottom of the list with rates of 5.4 and 5, respectively. 

E14 in Tower Hamlets, London came bottom with a rate of 4.8.

Thousands of postcodes were excluded from the analysis due to limited data regarding claims in those areas. 

The data release formed part of the MIB's 'Operation Drive Insured' campaign, which aims to get uninsured drivers of the roads.

The MIB estimates the injuries caused by uninsured and hit-and-run drivers cost the economy nearly £2.4billion a year in emergency services, medical care, loss of productivity and human costs.

Road policing units across the UK will be carrying out additional checks on motorists in problem areas throughout Operation Drive Insured, in a bid to tackle the plague of uninsured drivers, the MIB said.

So far this year, almost 115,000 uninsured drivers have had their vehicle seized by the police with assistance from the MIB. 

Uninsured drivers receive a £300 fixed penalty notice and six points on their licence.

If stopped by police, their vehicle may be seized and then crushed.

If an uninsured driver ends up in court, they could also receive an unlimited fine and even a driving ban.

Chief superintendent Marc Clothier said: 'We know uninsured drivers are more likely to be involved in fatal and "fail to stop" collisions.

'There is also a strong link between uninsured driving and other criminal offences.'

Martin Saunders, head of enforcement at the MIB, said: 'We're working closely with the police the length and breadth of the UK to ensure that these dangerous vehicles are identified and removed from our roads.'

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