Number of young people breaking the law drops to 125,000
New figures released by the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) today, reveals the number of 17 - 20 year olds estimated to be driving without insurance has decreased by half over the last three years.
In 2008, based on claims submitted to the MIB, it was estimated the same age group of 17 - 20 year olds made up about a quarter of a million of uninsured motorists, compared to half that amount at present.
The overall number of uninsured motorists on UK roads has significantly declined and can be attributed to on-road policing and the introduction of the Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) law. The scheme was introduced last year and tackles vehicle keepers with no insurance in place by cross-checking the DVLA database with the Motor Insurance Database. Anyone who appears to have no insurance will receive a warning letter, followed by a series of escalating penalties. There are currently estimated to be a total 1.2 million uninsured motorists on our roads, of which one in ten are young drivers.
Ashton West, Chief Executive at MIB said:
"Whilst the overall number of uninsured motorists in the UK is decreasing and there is a very welcome drop amongst young drivers, there is still much work to be done.
"There are more than a million drivers under the age of 20 on our roads, and having insurance in place is crucial to protect inexperienced young drivers and other motorists. Uninsured driving adds £30 per policy per year to the cost of insurance premiums, resulting in £400m a year in costs to the industry. "
A growing trend amongst young drivers is to make use of GPS telematics boxes which can be a useful tool in bringing premium costs down. Some insurers have been offering to install a smartbox unit into a car's dashboard to gather driving data. This information is then used by the insurer to determine the insurance cost to the driver based on their driving skills and behaviour. The new technology is allowing young drivers much more freedom and control over the cost of their insurance.
Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said:
"The fall in uninsured driving is good news, thanks largely to the efforts of the Police and more recently the introduction of Continuous Insurance Enforcement.
"But we cannot be complacent. Uninsured drivers are a danger on our roads and that is why the Government will continue to tackle uninsured drivers and leave them with nowhere to hide ."
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