Thousands of uninsured motorists

OMORE than 7,000 drivers in Birmingham have been caught driving without insurance.

There are 7,732 drivers in the B postcode who have had their licences stamped for driving without proper insurance, or approximately one person in every 140 in the area, the highest rate in the Midlands.

The worst-offending places in the UK were London, Bradford, Sunderland and Luton, all having higher rates than Birmingham.

Third party insurance is the minimum motorists need to drive a vehicle legally on British roads.

If a driver is involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, it means they can end up losing money or any no-claims bonus even if the accident was not their fault. It may be possible to claim some compensation from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) which handles claims against uninsured and untraceable drivers.

Offenders will get six to eight points on their licence, which stays on the record for four years.They can also get a driving ban and unlimited fine if the case goes to court.

The Post obtained the data from the. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) under freedom of information laws.

The 7,732 people in the B postcode are all licensed drivers – there are more people who cannot currently drive and those holding foreign licences who have also been caught driving without insurance.

Elsewhere in the West Midlands one driver in every 145 in Wolverhampton has been caught driving uninsured and one person in every 177 in Walsall.

The average across Britain was one in every 193. Men aged 25 to 28 are the most likely people to be caught driving while uninsured, the DVLA data shows.