Briefing: Uninsured driving shows no signs of hitting the brakes

What a difference a few weeks can make in any walk of life – and certainly in the eyes of the UK motorist.

Six weeks ago, the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) welcomed a YouGov survey which found that three-quarters of the British public do not believe the current fines for driving uninsured are high enough. These respondents said they would support the current penalty being quadrupled.

This result prompted the MIB to renew its calls for the UK government to increase the fine for driving uninsured to £1,200 – aligning with the organisation’s new five-year strategy, launched in July 2025, called Accelerating to Zero. This aims to end uninsured driving for good.

At the time of writing, the fixed fine for driving without insurance in the UK is £300 and six penalty points on an individual’s driving license.

If the case goes to court, however, drivers could be dished out an unlimited fine, be disqualified from driving, or their vehicle may be seized or destroyed.

At the time of the MIB’s strategy launch, the firm’s chief executive, Angus Eaton, said: “We know that in simply managing claims, we’re not dealing with the problem early enough because uninsured drivers still wreck lives. And it’s getting harder to solve. Accelerating to Zero is our commitment to end uninsured driving for good.

“A first step is working with the government to increase fines for those driving uninsured. We believe that the current penalty of £300, which hasn’t changed in over 10 years, simply isn’t enough of a deterrent.

“We’re calling for the penalty to be raised so that it is double the average premium, to help eradicate the issue.”

Cutting costs…and corners

In the past week, however, European insurance and credit information provider CRIF released research which found rising insurance premiums have seen a very swift change of heart from Britian’s drivers.

It reported that 5% of UK motorists have previously driven without motor insurance due to rising costs. This percentage equates to around 1.4 million drivers breaking the law.

As well as those who have driven without insurance, a further 2.4 million drivers or 8% of the country’s motorists said they have not driven without insurance to date, but would be prepared to do so if they needed to in future.

Sara Costantini, regional director for the UK and Ireland at CRIF, said: “UK drivers are struggling with spiralling premiums and it’s deeply concerning to see millions of people take to the road uninsured as a result. They’re not only breaking the law, but also putting them and others at increased risk.

“While premiums have started to drop, they remain well above pre-pandemic levels. It’s vital the industry works to harness the latest innovations in areas like data and analytics to improve assessments and fraud detection.

“This would help drive costs down further and increase affordability, so that drivers aren’t forced to choose between their finances and safety on the road.”

Time to act

According to CRIF’s aforementioned findings, a third of UK drivers believe their insurance is now the most expensive it has ever been.

If this is true, the fact that 3.8 million drivers on Britian’s roads have already or would drive without insurance is a stark warning that something needs to be done to address the issue.

Government figures, cited by the MIB, put the economic cost of uninsured driving – including compensation for victims, emergency services, medical costs and loss of productivity – at £1bn a year.

Much of that cost ends up at the feet of insurers and, ultimately, the policyholder, creating pressure on rates and fuelling a spiral of unaffordability.

The temptation to drive without cover has never been higher. And it must be addressed.