Last week (12-18th November saw police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland back campaign ‘Operation Drive Insured’ Where they targeted uninsured drivers, removing them from the road in order to protect law-abiding drivers, motorcycle riders, cyclists and pedestrians.
Although it is a legal requirement, Churchill insurance believes that there are over 1 million uninsured drivers taking to the road in the United Kingdom, with the Motor insurance Database (MID) receiving 11,000 claims a year from victims involved in collisions with uninsured drivers, and tragically a large proportion of these victims suffer from life changing injuries.
The Motor Insurers’ Bureau was set up in 1946 in order to provide compensation for those affected by accidents caused by uninsured and untraced drivers, this is funded by the law abiding insured driver’s premiums (at an estimated £30 a year) The Motor Insurers’ Bureau set up the ‘Operation Drive Insured’ campaign to help catch those who put other road users at risk.
35 police forces who backed the campaign used Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to identify and stop drivers that they believe to be uninsured, allowing them to carry out relevant checks on the drivers’ insurance and could also check if they had been involved in any other road traffic offences.
In North Wales alone over 1000 cars have been seized by the Police so far this year, helped by campaigns such as ‘Operation Drive Insured’ which sees those found driving without insurance facing a range of possible actions, including penalties such as:- six points on their license, a £300 fine, having their vehicle seized and possible court prosecution.
It is believed that uninsured drivers are more of a threat to road users because they are often involved in other criminal activities such as not being qualified to drive or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, with the statistics proving that uninsured drivers cause a high number of collisions each year.
It’s distressing enough being involved in a road traffic accident that’s not your fault, without the added upset of being hit by an uninsured or untraced driver, and it can often leave you not knowing what to do next. If you have been involved in or affected by an accident caused by an uninsured or untraced driver (such as a hit and run) Acclaim Legal Services can help, with over 30 years’ experience , their trained personal injury experts will support you every step of the way, getting you the compensation that you deserve.
Uninsured Driver Claims
For more information on uninsured driver claims call Acclaim Legal Services today on 01244 956434 or email us on info@acclaimls.co.uk