Cars crushed in insurance blitz

14 November 2007

Clampdown on uninsured drivers results in crushing of 45,000 cars this year

Up to 45,000 cars have been crushed this year as authorities continue a clampdown on uninsured drivers, new figures show.

More than 100,000 vehicles have been seized during police checks so far this year, a record number according to the Association of British Insurers.

Advances in number plate recognition technology have contributed to the rise, while crackdowns by both the police and the insurance industry have also led to more seizures.

The Motor Insurers' Bureau, which is designed to help compensate those involved in accidents with uninsured drivers, said it believes this figure will jump before the end of the year.

The group estimates that up to one in 20 drivers on the UK's roads are uninsured, while the cost of uninsured accidents adds £30 a year to drivers' premiums.

Nick Starling, director of general insurance and health at the ABI, said: "Uninsured drivers are a menace.

"They often drive unroadworthy vehicles, and the cost of compensating their victims adds to premiums paid by honest motorists.

"These figures show that the determination of the insurance industry and the police to drive them from our roads is beginning to bear fruit."