On 11 March, the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit (BCH RPU) and MIB worked together to focus on LU1, LU2, LU3 and LU4 post code areas, which make up four of the five hotspot postal districts within Bedfordshire. 

The MIB-led operation saw BCH RPU officers, backed by Bedfordshire Police’s community policing teams, dedicate their day to tackling uninsured driving in efforts to increase road safety across the region.

As we all know, uninsured driving is not a standalone issue so vehicle stops also helped identify other criminal activity. On top of the 43 vehicles seized for no or inadequate insurance, a further 8 were seized for other offences such as no tax, no licence, or driving unaccompanied under a provisional licence. Multiple instances of trade insurance being misused were identified, as well as illegal number plates and ghost number plates.

Most notably, the day saw three vehicles seized at separate times, but all linked to one person. The man first had his car seized after stating he was using a trade policy, whilst the insurer found no record of the vehicle on the relevant policy. Just a few minutes later, his wife’s vehicle was also seized for the same offence. Then, when the man returned with a friend to speak with officers, his friend’s vehicle was also then found to not be adequately insured and subsequently seized by police.

MIB support

To support the roadside operation, members of the MIB Law Enforcement Liaison team, Police Helpline, and Communications team were in attendance. 

Police Helpline advisors enabled officers to further scrutinise insurance policies, speeding up the process of confirming whether appropriate cover was in place for the vehicle, driver and purpose. 

All four of MIB's Law Enforcement Liaison Officers also supported officers, providing a direct link to Navigate and insight into any less common complexities of motor insurance that occurred during the day.

TV coverage

A BBC Look East crew attended the operation, capturing the activity, with the segment making the evening news programme. 

Due to the level of seizures, interesting stories that were uncovered, and the public interest following the evening news item, the story was covered again by BBC Breakfast TV. MIB were asked to join once again, to speak about the scale of the issue, the penalties faced by those driving uninsured, and how we're working together to tackle uninsured driving.