Compared with drivers with insurance, uninsured drivers are:
- 10 times more likely to have been convicted of drink-driving.
- 6 times more likely to have been convicted of driving a non-roadworthy vehicle;
- 3 times more likely to have been convicted of driving without due care and
attention.
However according to new research from Direct Line insurers the uninsured believe themselves to be safe drivers. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of uninsured drivers believe they drive carefully and within the law
"These are worrying findings," said Mary Francis, the ABI's Director General. "They reinforce our call for a tough crackdown on people who drive without insurance. There really is no excuse and this is not a case of financial exclusion. Motor insurance is competitively priced and widely available. We need to ensure that anyone who drives understands that they have the means of inflicting serious injury - and that insurance is there to protect other people as well as themselves".
The ABI has estimated that one in twenty motorists are driving illegally without insurance at any one time in the UK - more than one million in total. Accidents involving these motorists cost up to ¯¿½500 million a year, paid for by insurers and the Motor Insurers' Bureau. Ultimately honest motorists pay - uninsured driving adds up to ¯¿½30 a year to motor premiums.
The ABI - commissioned survey questioned a representative sample of nearly 3,000 motorists on their attitudes to uninsured driving. These included motorists who have been or who are currently driving uninsured. Key findings are:
- 13% of all drivers admit that they have driven at some time without insurance.
- 83% of motorists view uninsured driving as a serious offence.
- Over a quarter - 28% - of young drivers (aged 18 to 29) have at some time driven uninsured.
- The chances of being caught are seen as remote. 89% think there is more chance of being caught speeding.
- Tougher penalties are supported by insured drivers. Confiscation of the
offender's vehicle, a prison sentence, and back - payment of insurance costs
are all widely supported deterrents. The Government review led by Professor
David Greenaway on how to tackle the problem is due to report shortly. The
ABI has proposed a package of measures, focussing on more systematic detection
and a wider range of penalties.
Research by Direct Line motor insurance throws light on some of the reasons behind the escalating problem of uninsured driving. The research, the first conducted amongst uninsured drivers, aims to reveal the motivations and attitudes of those driving outside of the law.
Top-line results of the survey shows:
- Nearly three-quarters (73%) of uninsured drivers believe they drive carefully and within the law
- 62% of uninsured drivers choose not to tell passengers that they have no cover, even though they are responsible for the safety of their own passengers in the vehicle
The Direct Line research also revealed that nearly six out of ten (60%) uninsured motorists didn't bother to purchase insurance, despite the legal requirement to do so, as they believe they are unlikely to be involved in an accident that was their fault.
Additionally, nearly three-quarters of uninsured drivers (73%) said they drive carefully and within the law. This is clearly contrary to the research by the ABI that they are more likely to be convicted of a range of driving offences.
Nearly two-thirds of uninsured drivers (64%) added that the lack of police on the road makes them believe it's easy to avoid detection.
The research also highlights age is an important factor in the way in which respondents morally view their actions. Over seven out of ten uninsured motorists (72%) under the age of twenty-nine years old claim that they do not lose any sleep over driving without insurance. This figure falls to 45% for those aged between thirty and fifty, whilst only a third of older uninsured drivers, those fifty and over, admit to not losing any sleep knowing that they drive whilst not being insured.
The ABI said insurers are committed to reducing uninsured driving, so helping keep premiums as low as possible for honest motorists. Insurers developed the Motor Insurance Database to help the police quickly check who has valid motor insurance. This has a major part to play in an overhauled enforcement regime. And insurers will continue to do all they can to ensure that motorists understand the need to be insured at all times.
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