Uninsured driving hits 17-year high

20th April 2026

Uninsured driving has hit a 17-year high, according to a new report compiled by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau.

Produced in partnership with the BBC, the report found that 160,000 uninsured cars were seized from UK roads last year.

Meanwhile, the number of cars taken of the roads in the past five years has risen by almost 20%, from 132,436 to 158,594.

However, MIB data suggests this is only about half the number of uninsured vehicles on UK roads. It estimates that there are now around 300,000 cars in the UK without insurance.

The data found that Birmingham is the country’s largest hotspot for uninsured driving, with five of the top 15 postcodes for accidents involving uninsured drivers.

Uninsured driving costs the UK economy about £1bn a year in compensation, emergency service resources, medical costs and loss of productivity, while uninsured drivers are also more likely to be involved in secondary offences such as drink and drug driving, broken seatbelts and bald tyres.