31 October 2007
One in fifteen drivers in the UK is still driving without car insurance in the UK, the government has revealed.
In a parliamentary answer, Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick confirmed that there are around 2.1 million uninsured vehicles on UK roads - around 6.5% of the total fleet.
However, he defended the government's record on uninsured motorists, saying that there is "recent evidence" that the situation was improving.
"For the year 2006 there was a 4.2% drop in claims for compensation for the victims of uninsured drivers," he said.
He added that police using plate recognition technology were catching insurance offenders at a rate of 1,500 cars per week.
Nevertheless, Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone commented: "The government has obviously fallen asleep at the wheel on this one.
"Their policies for pursuing uninsured drivers have been a total failure and it is about time they accepted the facts and took action."
Ms Featherstone also estimated the average cost of uninsured motorists on other drivers' premiums at around £30 a time.