Three police forces across the South West of the UK have collaborated with MIB (Motor Insurers' Bureau), maximising safer travel as families flock to popular holiday destinations.

Officers from Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, and Hampshire Police forces took part in the one-day operation focused on uninsured driving. Timed to coincide with the busiest day of travel into the South West following the start of the school holiday period, 13 uninsured vehicles were removed from roads across the area. Alongside this, a further eight vehicles were insured at the roadside.

Uninsured driving remains a serious problem across the UK. Every 20 minutes, someone falling victim to an uninsured or hit-and-run driver, with one person so seriously injured that they require life-long care. Removing uninsured vehicles from the road helps protect all road users from potential harm. Additionally, uninsured drivers are frequently linked to other criminal activities, including drug or drink driving, excessive speeding, and organised crime such as drug running.

As well as the 13 vehicles seized for being uninsured or inadequately covered, stops for suspected insurance offences also enabled officers to detect a range of other criminal activity, including:

• Speeding
• Mobile phone offences
• Fuel theft
• Tyre and load offences
• Drivers without a valid licence
• Vehicles being driven without a valid MOT and without having paid road tax

The collaboration between the three forces and MIB – the UK not-for-profit responsible for making roads safer by reducing uninsured driving and compensating victims of uninsured or hit-and-run collisions – allowed officers to harness uninsured vehicle data and utilise ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) to detect and stop those driving with no or inadequate motor insurance.

Officers utilised several methods to identify uninsured drivers, including: 

• Navigate, the central database of all live motor insurance policies, managed by MIB.
• Operation Tutelage markers, where cars passing ANPR cameras on previous occasions have been compared to data held on Navigate. Uninsured vehicles with an Operation Tutelage marker are then flagged to police and dealt with roadside. 
• Predictive Movements, to narrow down the expected movements of known uninsured vehicles.
• ANPR monitoring, identifying vehicles passing static cameras to enable officers to focus efforts on suspected instances of non-insurance.

The operation was further supported on the ground by MIB law enforcement liaison officers, who provided roadside checking of Navigate and a direct link to MIB’s Police Helpline, speeding up the process of confirming the insurance status of stopped vehicles. 

While many of the drivers whose vehicles were seized during the operation are believed to have knowingly flouted the law, MIB are taking the opportunity to urge all drivers to check their insurance status. Common and often innocent mistakes, such as bounced payments, failed auto-renewals, or mistyped details including registration numbers, can leave people unknowingly uninsured, whilst some drivers may have purchased the wrong class-of-use for their needs.

Sgt James Gallienne, Devon and Cornwall Police said: “At least one person, every day is so seriously injured by an uninsured or hit and run driver they require lifelong care.

“Operations like this aim to educate about and enforce the law in order to reduce the number of uninsured drivers on the road and reduce collisions. Devon and Cornwall remain safe places to live and visit and we will continue to be proactive in keeping our road network safe."

Roads Policing Inspector Matt Boiles, Avon and Somerset Police said: “We typically see a significant rise in traffic volumes at the start of the summer holidays as people travel to and through our region. By targeting uninsured vehicles, we’re aiming to reduce risk to all road users during one of the busiest times of year.

“Uninsured drivers are statistically more likely to be involved in other road offences, including the Fatal Five: careless driving, drink or drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, speeding, and using a mobile phone at the wheel - all of which are key contributors to serious and fatal collisions. They are also more likely to be involved in wider offending, such as driving without a valid licence, using cloned plates, or driving vehicles in an unroadworthy condition.

“Through our work with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, we’re able to identify vehicles with no insurance in place and take appropriate enforcement action, helping to make our roads safer for everyone.”

Roads Policing Inspector Chris Sharland, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said: “Today we have worked in collaboration with our colleagues in the South West and MIB around dealing with uninsured drivers. The impact of uninsured driving reaches further than the individuals involved and is not constrained to just the financial impact.

“We take this seriously, because seizing these vehicles and removing them from our roads will greatly reduce the risk to the majority of motorists who do comply with the law. Offenders today will now face the prospect of penalty points on their driving licences and fines.”

Martin Saunders, Head of Uninsured Driving Prevention at MIB said: “Uninsured driving is a problem every day of the year. However, during this busy period of holidaying within the UK, we recommend that all motorists check they have adequate cover in place and that all details on their policy are as expected.

Utilising key moments where there is a large influx of vehicles, such as these holiday traffic ‘pinch points’, allows us to not only target those who choose to drive uninsured, but provides us with an opportunity to educate those who are unaware. We urge all motorists to check their insurance policy is in place, is appropriate for their needs and to reach out to their insurer if they are unsure on any part of their policy – we don’t want any driver to become uninsured in the first place.

“We will continue to work with police across the UK year-round to make sure that those choosing to drive uninsured have nowhere to hide.”