'Over a million' have driven without car insurance
Date: 13/05/2008 16:40:49
More than one million people have driven without
car insurance over the past twelve months, research suggests.
Research by Sainsbury's Bank claimed younger people were the worst offenders as two-fifths of the total were aged 17 to 24 while nearly a quarter were between 25 and 34.
Cost was the main reason why respondents said they had driven with no cover, with around 19 per cent saying they had nothing in place because they could not afford it.
Sainsbury's Bank called the figures "alarming", claiming that the cost of uninsured motorists "adds an extra £25 to £30 to the average annual car insurance premium."
Other reasons given for not having cover included not having time to arrange it and not thinking it was necessary to have.
Many motorists worried about not being able to afford cover have turned to getting a wide variety of quotes from different providers to land a
cheap car insurance deal, while others have also investigated getting a lower-emission car to save on general motoring costs.
Sainsbury's Bank also said London was the area where drivers were most likely to have no insurance, where around six per cent admitted to having driven without cover in the last 12 months.
Driving without car insurance is illegal in the UK, with offenders facing fines of up to £200 or even a driving ban.