Police campaign catches uninsured drivers in Scotland

More than 200 drivers were caught in a recent crackdown on uninsured vehicles across Scotland.
 
During the week of 21 to 27 January, Police Scotland carried out Operation Drive Insured in partnership with the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB). According to the MIB, there are an estimated 40,000 uninsured drivers in Scotland.
 
Officers carried out mobile and static road checks across the country, with a focus on certain hotspots.
 
A total of 232 motorists were charged for having no insurance and many had their vehicles removed from the roads.
 
Commenting on the results of the crackdown, Police Scotland's deputy head of road policing Superintendent Louise Blakelock said: "These detections demonstrate there are still some drivers who choose not to pay for adequate insurance cover.
 
"Although the campaign has now ended, this remains a focus and we will continue to search for drivers using uninsured vehicles which we will seize when appropriate."
 
Using data from the Motor Insurance Database -- a central record of all UK motor insurance policies -- police can easily identify and stop motorists that appear to be uninsured.
 
The MIB also operates a police helpline which supports roadside officers by investigating further and liaising with insurers to confirm whether there is valid motor insurance in place or not.
 
In 2018, the helpline received over 10,000 calls from Scottish officers at the roadside with a driver of a vehicle where the insurance status was in question, resulting in thousands of uninsured vehicles being seized.
 
"Uninsured drivers wreak havoc and devastate the lives of thousands of people each year," commented Neil Drane, head of enforcement at the MIB.
 
"This enforcement campaign has been successful in removing a number of dangerous uninsured drivers, but these efforts are ongoing.
 
"We will continue to work in partnership with Police Scotland and build on this success to bring justice for the many honest road users who are impacted."