One in eight, or 13%, of British motorists have confessed to driving a car without insurance, with men twice as likely to violate the insurance regulation, according to research conducted by price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com.
The survey found that two thirds, or 69%, of these drivers broke the law while driving someone else’s car.
Men were twice as likely as women to drive uninsured, with 17% of men admitting the offence compared to 9% of women. Furthermore, the research revealed that younger drivers were the worst offenders, with 29% of motorists under 30 admitting that they had driven without cover, compared to 12% of drivers in their 30s and 40s.
While most of these motorists may not consider themselves part of the uninsured driving problem, widely blamed by some major insurers as the cause behind their premium rises over recent years, it’s important to realize anyone who drives without cover is breaking the law and poses a financial risk to themselves and other road users, said Richard Mason, director of insurance at Moneysupermarket.com.
It is simply wrong to believe you are safe driving your own or a friend’s car just a short distance uninsured, since most accidents happen in residential and often familiar streets.
Londoners were found to be more likely to drive with no insurance, with 21% admitting to driving without cover.
The UK government plans to crack down on drivers who fail to renew their insurance policy, even if their car is sitting in the driveway. The online price comparison group revealed that 2% of Britain’s motorists drove their car uninsured between renewing their policy. If caught, owners will face a GBP100 fine or have their car clamped or towed.