MIB backs £1,200 fines for uninsured drivers
The Motor Insurer’s Bureau has proposed raising the fine for uninsured drivers from £300 to £1,200 as part of its Accelerating to Zero strategy.
It launched Accelerating to Zero in June with the intention of removing all uninsured drivers from UK roads.
It has proposed raising the fine four-fold after new YouGov survey has revealed that nearly eight in 10 adults believe uninsured drivers should face stiffer penalties. Drivers caught without a license are currently penalised £300, but 78% of those surveyed believe it should be higher, with 75% supporting the idea of increasing it to £1,200.
Government figures show the economic cost of uninsured driving, including compensation for victims, emergency services, medical costs and loss of productivity, is £1bn a year.
Meanwhile, historical insight also shows that uninsured drivers are more likely to speed, more likely to have a defective vehicle, more likely to be a convicted drink-driver, and more likely to be involved in a fatal collision.
Accelerating to Zero
Angus Eaton, CEO at MIB said: “Over the last 80 years, we’ve achieved a great deal as an organisation in managing claims and tackling the wider uninsured driving problem.
“But we know that in simply managing claims, we’re not dealing with the problem early enough because uninsured drivers still wreck lives. And it’s getting harder to solve. Accelerating to Zero is our commitment to end uninsured driving for good.
“A first step is working with the government to increase fines for those driving uninsured. We believe that the current penalty of £300, which hasn’t changed in over ten years, simply isn’t enough of a deterrent. We’re calling for the penalty to be raised so that it is double the average premium, to help eradicate the issue.
“Accelerating to Zero is an ambitious plan, but we believe that in five years’ time we will be able to look back and be proud that we’re much closer to ending uninsured driving.”
