Motorists that choose to drive uninsured may end up with aching pockets, with the Metropolitan Police having collected over £75 million in fines from uninsured drivers since 2012, according to a study by Confused.com.
The study, conducted in September, revealed that the Met have collected a total of £75,756,926 in fines from 220,694 uninsured drivers since 2012 – the most in England and Wales. This is more than double the amount collected by the West Yorkshire Police, which placed second at £31,946,116 across 101,859 incidents.
Rounding out the top five are the West Midlands, South Wales and Sussex police forces. The average number of fines across all police authorities analysed was 30,166.
The study also found that uninsured drivers in Bedfordshire are likely to receive the largest fine, with an average of £522 over the past decade. This is over two-thirds more than the average fine given by the South Wales Police (£314) and 17% more than the average fine across the UK (£443), Confused.com said.
“Failing to have the right car insurance policy in place could result in fines, points on your licence or disqualification from driving,” said Alex Kindred, car insurance expert at Confused.com. “Insurers appreciate that there are some emergency situations where you may need to jump behind the wheel of a car you don’t own. This is why some cover driving other cars within their comprehensive policy. But being over 25 or having a comprehensive policy doesn’t automatically entitle you to this. This must be outlined in your policy, and the car you drive must also be insured by its owner, or you risk the penalty.”
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