Derbyshire joins national campaign to protect the public from uninsured drivers

This week, uninsured drivers across Derbyshire are being targeted in a week-long operation.

Between 26 October and 1 November police forces across the country will be focusing their efforts on the 'Op Drive Insured' campaign.

Each year more than 130 people are killed and 26,000 are left injured by an uninsured or untraced driver. That is one casualty every twenty minutes and uninsured drivers are involved in nearly one-in-five collisions.

Evidence also shows drivers without insurance are more likely to commit further offences, such as a 'hit and run', vehicle theft, driving while disqualified or substance abuse.

These offences leave a financial impact on our economy. In 2019, annual collisions caused by uninsured and untraced drivers cost £2 billion in emergency services, medical care, loss of productivity and property damage.

The police and Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) work tirelessly to combat these offences to protect road users and, collectively across the UK, forces seize more than 130,000 uninsured vehicles each year.

Inspector Greg Hunt, who leads the roads policing team, said: "We fully support this campaign and hope it highlights the issue of uninsured driving and the impact that is it has physically, emotionally and financially to those involved. Derbyshire Constabulary acts each day, against those who choose not to insure their vehicles.

"Having motor insurance isn’t just a legal requirement, it is there to protect victims of road traffic collisions and provide them with financial compensation. Anyone stopped and found to be without valid insurance, can expect to have their vehicle seized and further action taken.

"We will continue to educate the public, raise awareness and safeguard Derbyshire’s roads."

The campaign developed by the National Roads Policing Operations, Intelligence and Investigations (NRPOII) committee, in partnership with MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau), aims to not only crack down on uninsured driving, but also to improve road safety and raise public awareness.

During the week, the force will be accessing the Motor Insurance Database (MID), a central record of all live motor insurance policies, to quickly detect if a driver appears to be uninsured at the roadside. If disputed by the driver, the MIB can quickly liaise with insurers to confirm if valid insurance exists.

Drivers found without insurance can have their vehicle seized and potentially crushed, along with a £300 fixed penalty notice and six points on their licence. Individuals can also face court and receive a further fine and a driving ban. Uninsured driving convictions also show on basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, which can impact employment prospects.

If a member of the pubic would like to check that their vehicle is showing as insured on the MID, they can visit www.askMID.com.