Are tougher penalties needed for uninsured drivers?
04 September 2008
The current penalties in place for drivers of uninsured vehicles do not act as a deterrent, it has been claimed.
Head of road safety at the AA Andrew Howard noted that although car confiscation and crushing does take place, it is not enough to deter people from driving without insurance.
"When you can pick up a car for five or six hundred pounds - which is cheaper than the insurance policy - [not buying cover] obviously works in some ways for some people" said Mr Howard.
Save 20% with Budget Insurance
He added that it depends on "how far outside the law" individuals are prepared to live.
Figures from Direct Line suggest that there are around 1.5 million uninsured drivers on British roads and that around 260,000 are convicted each year.
The organisation added that fines imposed by courts may amount to less than half the cost of a third party, fire and theft insurance policy.
Don't let the Credit Crunch ruin Xmas
