Police reveal 11 vehicles seized a day as crackdown begins on uninsured drivers across South Yorkshire
Police reveal on average 11 vehicles are seized every day in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire Police has launched a crackdown on uninsured drivers.
The force revealed that “seizing cars is daily business” for officers and that every day this year, they have seized an average of 11 vehicles.
But over the next week, additional officers from SYP’s road policing team will be on patrol to crackdown on those who are uninsured.
Roads policing sergeant Martyn Micklethwaite is leading the work, and said: “Our experience, and research tells us that those who drive without insurance are far more likely to take further risks.
“Last year, we seized 3864 vehicles, and already this year, we have taken over 3600 from the roads. We are the ones who attend collisions, we are the ones who see innocent people’s lives change, and we make no apologies for targeting those who pose a risk on our roads.”
According to the police, every 20 minutes someone is hit by an uninsured driver and once a week one person loses their life in the UK.
South Yorkshire Police highlighted their concerns over driving without insurance, stating it is “not a victimless crime” where “someone has to pay”.
It is the law-abiding drivers who pay the price through higher premiums and reduced safety on the roads, the force said.
Sergeant Micklethwaite added: “As well as the greater risk, the more people that drive uninsured leads to higher premiums for law abiding drivers and costs the UK economy around £1bn every year, including compensation for victims, emergency services and medical costs- everyone needs to do their part.”
If you are caught driving while uninsured, you could face a minimum of a £300 fine and six penalty points, with court appearances and driving bans also possible.
Police said for those who face financial hardship, there are ways to reduce premiums, such as choosing less powerful vehicles, installing black boxes, and limiting mileage - but driving without insurance is “never an option”.