Drop in motorists driving without insurance

THE number of people driving without motor insurance has fallen by 20% during the past four years.

An estimated 1.5million motorists were on the roads despite not having insurance cover during 2009, down from 1.8million in 2005, according to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) but despite the reduction, it is still reckoned that 4% of drivers in the UK do not have any cover, the highest level in western Europe.

Every year, uninsured drivers in the UK kill 160 people and injure 23,000, costing insurers about £500million and adding the equivalent of £30 to the cost of policies for honest motorists.

Four of five top hotspots for uninsured drivers between 2007 and 2009 were in Birmingham, with Small Heath taking the top slot, followed by Bordesley and Saltley.