A new study has revealed that 16% of all British motorists drive without insurance, a fact that adds an average of £30 to every other insured driver.
One in six drivers take to the road without car insurance. This is according new research carried out by MoneySupermarket.com.
Further details from the study show that 8% of those surveyed confessed to driving their own vehicle with no car insurance and a further 6% of motorists admitted to having been behind the wheel of someone else’s car without insurance being in place.
"Year-on-year we are still seeing a worrying number of drivers prepared to hit the road without insurance, despite the introduction of new Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) rules last year,” said car insurance expert at MoneySupermarket, Peter Harrison.
Consequences for uninsured drivers
Harrison warned drivers that being involved in a road accident with no insurance in place could see motorists face thousands of pounds in liabilities. This is in addition to potentially facing other penalties such as a conviction, six points on their license and fines of up to £5,000.
The car insurance expert also pointed out that those UK drivers hitting the road without having car insurance in place cost the industry up to £500 million every year. This is equivalent to an average £30 additional cost to every motorist's premium.
Further figures revealed that men were twice as likely to drive uninsured as women, with 22% of men doing so compared to 10% of women in the UK.
Younger drivers also turned out to be more conscious about the risks of driving without insurance. While only 6% of drivers over 55 confessed to driving without insurance, three out of ten (29%) motorists aged 18 to 34 admitted to having carried out this risky practice.
Peter Harrison commented on this particular trend:
"Although car insurance premiums for younger drivers are high, having insurance and proving you are a safe driver will bring premiums down. Not having insurance, and being caught without it, could result in you not being insurable in the future."
