One in five young motorists is driving illegally without insurance, according to a report published by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB).
The organisation, which is funded by motor insurers and pays compensation to people involved in accidents with uninsured drivers, said an estimated 250,000 people aged between 17 and 20 drive without any insurance in place.
The report found that one in 10 young drivers claim not to be aware that car insurance is obligatory, and that young drivers in that age group were four times more likely to be involved in claims.
Ashton West, chief executive of the MIB, said: “Young people make up a significant number of uninsured drivers, and with one in five newly qualified drivers having an accident in the first year of driving they need to make choices based on the consequences of driving without insurance and not just on price alone.”
Insurance for male drivers aged 17 can be as high as £2,000-£3,000 a year, which puts many people off, according to the report.
“While we recognise the financial pressures for drivers taking to the roads for the first time, it is also a criminal offence to drive without proper insurance cover,” West said.
A person caught driving without insurance could have their vehicle seized, be fined and receive up to eight penalty points on their license, while an uninsured driver who causes a fatality could face two years in prison. Each year, around 230,000 people are convicted in the UK for driving without insurance.
Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said: “I’m not surprised at these figures, even though it is shocking to see this statistic confirmed.
“Uninsured driving is not a victimless crime. Young drivers are 10 times more likely to be involved in a collision than more experienced drivers. If they have no insurance, any claim has to be met by the MIB, which in turn is funded by honest insurers.”
If an insured driver is hit by an uninsured driver, the covered party would have to make a claim on their own insurance, thereby raising any future premiums and losing any existing no claims bonus.
The UK has one of the highest proportions of uninsured drivers in Europe, with around 5% of motorists not having a policy in place compared with 0.1% in Sweden and 0.2% in Germany. According to latest government statistics, a third of drivers killed or seriously injured on the road were under 25.
