Avon and Somerset Police and MIB (Motor Insurers' Bureau) have made roads safer around Glastonbury by seizing 21 vehicles following the UK's largest music festival, maximising safer travel for both festivalgoers and the local community.

Uninsured driving remains a serious problem across the UK, with someone falling victim to an uninsured or hit-and-run driver every 20 minutes. 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.

The two-day operation was timed to coincide with the busiest arrival and departure days, ensuring maximum impact. Officers seized 21 vehicles for being uninsured or inadequately covered. During suspected uninsured vehicle stops, the force also detected a range of other criminal activity, including:

• Stolen vehicles
• Drivers who had been disqualified, had expired licences, or were attempting to use altered documents
• 3 vehicles with fraudulent numberplates
• 10 vehicles being driven without a valid MOT and 11 without having paid road tax

The partnership between Avon and Somerset Police 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 the force 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 and Avon and Somerset Police are taking the opportunity to urge all drivers to check their insurance status. Common and often innocent mistakes like bounced payments, failed auto-renewals, or typos in registration numbers can leave people unknowingly uninsured, whilst some drivers may have purchased the wrong class-of-use for their needs.

Matt Boiles, Roads Policing Inspector for Avon and Somerset Police, said: “Glastonbury is the UK’s largest music festival, bringing a significant increase in vehicles and traffic to the area each year. This operation enabled us to target uninsured vehicles both entering and leaving the site, helping to improve safety for those attending the festival, using surrounding roads, and living in the area.

“Our ongoing partnership with MIB ensures we can focus our efforts where they’re most effective, making a real impact in reducing the number of uninsured vehicles on the roads every day. High-profile opportunities like Glastonbury sends a clear message to those who choose to break the law - you will be identified, and your vehicle will be seized, no matter where you are.”

Martin Saunders, Head of Uninsured Driving Prevention at MIB said: “Uninsured driving is a problem every day of the year. Utilising events like Glastonbury, where there is a large influx of vehicles, 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 Avon and Somerset Police year-round to make sure that those choosing to drive uninsured have nowhere to hide.”