Uninsured cars

Police seize more than 20k uninsured cars

Thursday, August 27, 2015

UK police seized at least 27,688 cars in 2015 because the vehicle was uninsured according to research. 

According to research from Churchill Car Insurance, London is the uninsured vehicle capital of the UK, with the Met Police having seized 9,935 cars already this year because they were not insured.  This is twice the number of the second highest constabulary, West Yorkshire, where 4125 cars have been seized.        

Once the police has seized cars, they may be sold at auction.  Police forces across the UK report 1,892 seized cars have already been auctioned this year, raising £1,085,636.56.  However, not all vehicles are sold off once seized; more than 6736 vehicles have been crushed this year, generating a scrap value of £643,891.   

Churchill Car Insurance’s analysis revealed the highest price secured for a car auctioned off in 2015 to date was for a vehicle seized by Warwickshire Police, which sold for £18,874.00. However, this price pales in comparison to the price secured for a vehicle seized by the Met Police in 2013, which sold for £217,933.00. 

If you see a luxury car in the road, it doesn’t necessarily mean the vehicle is insured. In 2015, police forces have seized over 40 Porsches, 10 Bentleys and 1767 BMWs.  The Met Police consistently leads the way when it comes to confiscating luxury vehicles because they are not insured with 810 BMWS, 386 Audis, 21 Porsches, 5 Bentleys, 2 Lamborghinis and a Ferrari being seized in the capital.

Steve Barrett, head of Car Insurance at Churchill Insurance, said: “This analysis exposes just the tip of the uninsured iceberg.  Thousands upon thousands of motorists across the country are driving without insurance, which is truly terrifying.  We need an urgent examination of the penalties for uninsured motoring, introducing sentences that are a real deterrent and that will keep these irresponsible motorists off the road.  Motorists driving without insurance are not just those driving around in old bangers, they are people driving luxury vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.”