City named in official new list of motorists with no cover.
Milton Keynes has been named as one of the worst areas in the UK for uninsured drivers. The city features among the top 15 most dangerous places to share the road with motorists who don’t have insurance for their car.
The shock news has been revealed by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, which protects people from the devastation of uninsured and hit-and-run drivers, to coincide with its annual ‘Operation Drive Insured’ campaign.
The week-long safety initiative starts today and aims to get uninsured drivers off the road.
The Bureau has linked up with the UK’s police forces, including Thames Valley, who will carry out additional checks on motorists, particularly in the problem areas highlighted in the new report.
Traffic officers will use information, supplied by the MIB, including central records of active motor insurance policies, lists of vehicles that have been ‘marked’ by police ANPR cameras and predictive data narrowing down the expected movements of known uninsured vehicles.
Milton Keynes’ MK7 postcode features in 15th place on the uninsured drivers hotspots list, which also includes Buckinghamshire’s HP12 area. Birmingham appears five times in the top 15.
So far this year, almost 115,000 uninsured drivers have had their vehicle seized through the work of the MIB in conjunction with the police. But current estimates suggest that there are 300,000 uninsured vehicles on British roads every day.
“Every 20 minutes someone in the UK is hit by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver and each day at least one person suffers injuries so severe they need life-long care,” said a spokesperson.
“Uninsured driving is not a standalone issue, with over 60% of uninsured vehicles seized by the police being linked to secondary offences including drink and drug driving, stolen vehicles or property, and serious organised crime networks.”
MIB recommends drivers should ensure their insurance is up to date by checking their payment method is still valid, that the ‘auto-renewal’ feature is set up and that their insurance allows them to carry out work tasks, such as delivering and commuting, if it’s required.
