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West Midlands and West Yorkshire account for 17 of the 20 worst postcodes for the number of uninsured drivers, according to the Motor Insurers' Bureau
The number of motorists driving illegally in Birmingham and Bradford is so high it is holding back progress to reduce the UK's overall level of uninsured drivers, research has shown.
The Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB), which holds records of all insured vehicles in the UK, said that despite an overall drop in uninsured driving in the past five years, in the West Midlands and West Yorkshire the number of drivers without cover was more than seven times the national average.
MIB's map of uninsured driving hotspots shows that the areas of Bordesley, Smallheath and Saltley in Birmingham, and Barker Ends, Frizinghall and Heaton, and Whitefield in Bradford have the highest numbers of uninsured drivers in the country. In terms of uninsured drivers, 17 out of 20 of the worst postcodes are in the West Midlands and West Yorkshire.
Ashton West, chief executive at MIB, said: "We cannot stand by and let uninsured driving continue, otherwise the honest motorist will keep paying the bills for the injury and damage caused to people and property."
There are about 34m vehicles on UK roads, of which 4% are not insured at any one time. Over the past five years, the uninsured driving figure has dropped by 5%, but the annual cost of uninsured driving – about £500m – still adds about £30 to every motor insurance policy.
In August, Birmingham was named the number one hotspot for "cash for crash" scams, where criminals target innocent motorists by making them appear culpable for a staged crash, resulting in a lucrative insurance claim.
The government has just announced plans to stem rising insurance costs by banning referral fees in personal injury claim cases.
The fees, highlighted by former Labour MP Jack Straw in June, are paid to claims management companies, garages and insurance companies who provide details of accidents – often car accidents – to personal injury lawyers.
The business is estimated to be worth £3bn a year, and successful claims are paid in most cases by insurance policies. Insurers have covered the cost by passing it on to policyholders in the form of higher premiums.
The government's announcement came hours after the Office of Fair Trading announced an investigation into the rising cost of car insurance and coincided with a separate report from the Transport Select Committee looking into motor insurance costs, in which it recommended the government take further action to tackle uninsured driving and motor insurance fraud.
Since June this year registered keepers of motor vehicles without insurance have received letters warning them to either take out insurance or to officially declare the vehicle off the road.
"Overall there is good progress being made to reduce the number of vehicles being driven without insurance," said Phil Gormley, road policing lead chief constable at the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
He added: "There are areas of the UK, however, that continue to present a challenge for enforcement authorities. The advantage that the MIB information provides is that we know where these vehicles are, and can focus our attention on areas where we have the greatest impact."
Lisa Bachelor
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