Tech leads to crunch time for uninsured drivers

Record numbers of uninsured vehicles are being seized and crushed thanks to automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology, research reveals.

The use of ANPR has led to more than 100,000 uninsured vehicles in the UK being seized this year by the police in roadside checks, compared to 78,000 during 2006.

And out of the vehicles seized this year some 45,000 have been crushed, according to figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

Nick Starling, director of General Insurance and Health at the ABI, said uninsured drivers are a menace, often drive unroadworthy vehicles and the cost of compensating their victims adds an extra £30 per year to premiums paid by honest motorists.

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Uninsured driving costs law-abiding motorists in excess of £500m per year, according to figures from the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB), which works with government to compensate the victims of negligent, uninsured and untraced motorists. On UK roads, 160 deaths are caused annually by uninsured motorists.

Ashton West, group chief executive of the MIB, said the fight against uninsured drivers has stepped up a gear and expects vehicle seizure numbers to increase over the coming months.