The journey to prevention
The work to get more uninsured vehicles off the road is a complex but critical task in making UK roads safer.
Those who drive uninsured do so for a variety of reasons, from well-intentioned motorists who are unwittingly uninsured or without adequate insurance, to those who purposely flout the law in order to hide other criminal activity.
Our approach raises awareness of the importance of motor insurance, alongside the complexities that drivers need to be aware of. By supporting those who have made often-innocent mistakes in rectifying their situation, we enable police forces to focus their efforts on tackling those who are knowingly driving uninsured.
Making strides to end uninsured driving for good
Educate
10% of British adults are unaware that motor insurance is compulsory for any vehicle used on a public road*. Many more fall foul of common insurance pitfalls.
Our range of education initiatives increases understanding of how people can make sure they have the correct insurance, so the number of uninsured drivers decreases.
This includes influencer partnerships, targeted awareness campaigns for both new and learner drivers, educational resources for schools and a range of digital initiatives, ensuring both current and future drivers are fully informed about insurance requirements.
Intervene
Those suspected of having no insurance receive one of two different advisory letters, encouraging them to rectify their status.
Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) compares DVLA records with Navigate – the central record of live motor insurance policies, held by MIB - to identify registered keepers of uninsured vehicles.
Operation Tutelage compares ANPR data and Navigate, to identify vehicles that have been driven without insurance.
Both initiatives provide opportunities for motorists to resolve any issues, before facing further consequences.
Enforce
UK police forces have many competing priorities. Whilst roads policing units undertake day-to-day activity to identify uninsured vehicles, MIB funding allows focused initiatives including Operation Scalis and hotspot-focused Action Days to be rolled out.
MIB data is used by all UK police forces to identify, stop and seize uninsured vehicles. It also supports dedicated uninsured driving operations, with hotspot information helping to forces to target their resources.
Our law enforcement liaison officers provide training, as well as roadside support during uninsured driving operations, to forces across the UK.
Uninsured driving affects everybody
Each year uninsured drivers cost the UK economy £1 billion
One person is hit by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver every 20 minutes
An uninsured vehicle is taken off the road every four minutes
Operation Scalis
In partnership with UK roads policing units, this initiative takes proactive action against uninsured driving through dedicated resourcing and operational activity. Through MIB funding and data-driven insights, forces can strategically target hotspot postcode areas which are known high-risk locations with a persistent problem of uninsured driving.
From January 2024 to April 2025, Operation Scalis has been implemented across nine police forces, enabling officers to take decisive, targeted action in problem areas. The operation has seen thousands of vehicles stopped, with over 1,518 uninsured vehicles seized and a further 100 drivers prosecuted but given the opportunity to rectfy their insurance at the roadside.
As well as taking dangerous uninsured vehicles off our roads, the operation provides ongoing opportunities to speak directly with drivers and utilise media coverage to educate the wider public on staying adequately insured.
