Uninsured drivers removed from the roads, as families flock to the region on holiday

Officers from Devon & Cornwall Police took part in the one-day operation focused on uninsured driving, alongside the Motor Insurers’ Bureau

The operation was timed to coincide with the busiest day of travel into the South West, following the start of the school holiday period.

Uninsured driving remains a serious problem across the UK. Every 20 minutes, someone falls victim to an uninsured or hit-and-run driver, with at least one person being so seriously injured that they require life-long care.

Removing uninsured drivers 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.

During the operation four vehicles were seized for being uninsured or inadequately covered and seven others received fixed penalty notices for having no insurance. In addition, officers issued tickets and advice in relation to a range of other criminal activity, including no MOT, driving while disqualified, drug driving, having defective tyres, recall to prison, an unrestrained child and insecure load.

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."

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.”

Driving uninsured can have severe consequences. Whilst many people assume there is just a fine, the breadth and longevity of consequences are in fact bigger. These include:

• £300 fine (Fixed Penalty Notice)
• Six points on your licence - for many young drivers and for those already with points on their licence, this means automatic disqualification
• Vehicle seized and potentially crushed
• Court referral, resulting in an unlimited fine and a driving ban
• Driving convictions can show in background checks, impacting job prospects
• A £1,000 average increase on your insurance premium 

In 2024, 138,000 uninsured drivers had their vehicle seized – one every four minutes. One in every three cars seized by police for having no insurance is crushed and recycled. 

We know that not all uninsured driving is intentional. In many cases, drivers may unwittingly drive without valid insurance. It is important to: 

• Not assume your motor insurance policy is set to auto-renew  
• Check your payment method is still valid 
• Not assume that fully-comprehensive cover allows you to drive someone else’s vehicle 
• SORN a vehicle if it is being taken off the road and not used  
• Check your insurance allows for the class-of-use required, such as commuting or making food or parcel deliveries   

For more information about driving safely visit: www.dc.police.uk/fatalfive