The first of the government’s initiatives designed to clamp down on those who drive without insurance will come into place this week, with it now illegal for drivers to even keep an uninsured car without it being declared as ‘off-road’.  Previous laws have dictated that offenders had to be caught whilst driving an uninsured car in order to be prosecuted.

The legislation of the new laws mean that any motorists who are caught with an uninsured car will be issued with a warning letter and a £100 fine.  If the vehicle continues to be uninsured,  there is the potential for them to be taken to court and issued with a further fine of up to £1000.

Currently, it is estimated that 1.4 million vehicles in the UK are without insurance, and the Department for Transport states that 23,000 people suffer from injuries as a result of uninsured drivers.  The number of deaths as a result is estimated at around 160 per year.

Malcolm Tarling from the Association of British Insurers stated that ‘Uninsured driving is a serious problem in this country. Not only are they more likely to cause an accident, but they also push up cost of insurance, which all honest, law-abiding drivers have to pay.’

He was also harsh in his warnings that anyone who contravenes the law is likely to be given a criminal record.

For more of the latest news from the UK motoring industry and to see how cheap breakdown cover can be, continue to check into the Rescue My Car blog.