Postcode worst for uninsured drivers

A ROSSENDALE postcode is the worst in the region for motorists driving without valid insurance.

There were 1,605 drivers in the OL postcode - which covers the Bacup and Whitworth area - who have had their licences stamped for driving illegally as of September.

That works out at around one in every 167 drivers – more than anywhere else in Greater Manchester.

The ‘OL’ postcode also covers Oldham and parts of Rochdale, Littleborough, Heywood, Ashton-under-Lyne and Todmorden.

Drivers found to be driving without valid insurance are fined £300 and given six points on their licence. Their insurance premiums are also likely to increase.

Nationally, up to £300,000 is paid out by The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) which handles claims against uninsured and untraceable drivers.

The MIB, through its own research, found the OL8 and OL9 postcodes were among the top 10 worst places for motorists driving without valid insurance in the north west, with proportions four times the national average.