At least 27,688 uninsured cars have been seized in 2015, says Churchill

27,688 uninsured cars have been seized by UK police forces, according to analysis carried out by Churchill Car Insurance.

The insurer has found that London is the uninsured vehicle capital of the UK, with the Met Police having seized 9,935 cars already this year because they were not insured. This is twice the number of the second highest constabulary, West Yorkshire, where 4125 cars have been seized.

Steve Barrett, head of car insurance at Churchill Insurance, said that the research had only exposed the “tip of the uninsured iceberg”.

“Thousands upon thousands of motorists across the country are driving without insurance, which is truly terrifying,” he said.

“We need an urgent examination of the penalties for uninsured motoring, introducing sentences that are a real deterrent and that will keep these irresponsible motorists off the road. Motorists driving without insurance are not just those driving around in old bangers, they are people driving luxury vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

He added that drivers without car insurance were driving up premiums for all other motorists.

“Those with a car insurance policy indirectly cover the cost of compensating those involved in accidents with uninsured drivers.  For an everyday motorist to be covering the costs of a driver that can afford a Ferrari is a travesty.  The penalties for insured motoring should be far higher and money generated from increased fines should be pumped into covering the costs of uninsured drivers,” said Barrett.

Mark Dugdale