Official figures released by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) show a “worrying” rise in the number of people driving without car insurance in the UK, with 10 per cent more uninsured drivers than last year.
This is after a gradual decrease of 40 per cent since 2005 in the number of uninsured drivers, and a third of all uninsured motorists are under the age of 30 years.
The number of compensation payouts for accidents which involved uninsured drivers reached 24,213 in July, up from 21,972 in July 2014.
There were 1.03 million uninsured motorists in the UK in 2014, the MIB estimates, up from 1.01 million the previous year, but down from the 1.72 million in 2005.
One of the factors which is being attributed to causing this is the high cost of car insurance, which can cost young drivers between £1,000 and £2,000. Facing a significant cost for their premium could be putting motorists off purchasing car insurance, and hoping they do not have an incident.
The MIB end up compensating victims in accidents involving uninsured drivers, and due to concerns about the sudden rise in uninsured drivers, is launching a campaign with the police to raise awareness nationwide.
“Worryingly, this year we have seen the number of claims to MIB rising week on week,” said Ashton West, of the MIB. “Every year, thousands of people are injured and killed by uninsured drivers. They pose a real threat to other motorists and road users. To address this, we are working proactively with police forces across the UK.”