Those drivers who take to the road without valid and current insurance or a driving licence will be targeted during a Police Scotland initiative.
A total of 9000 people have been detected by police since 1 April 2013 driving without insurance or a driving licence. Many of these drivers will also have had their vehicle seized, immediately removing a significant risk from the roads.
Police Scotland will continue to influence drivers behaviour positively and enforce legislation regarding these offences during a three day initiative. Other related maintenance offences that endanger road safety will also be targeted.
If a vehicle is driven without a valid insurance policy or the driver does not have a full current driving licence there is an obvious road safety risk. The legislation is there to protect all road users.
The Motor Insurers’ Bureau state that uninsured and untraced drivers kill 130 people and injure 26,500 every year in the UK. The annual cost of uninsured driving is estimated to be £400 million.
There are still too many people taking the risk and driving without insurance or without a full current driving licence. All drivers pay a financial penalty as premiums are pushed up by the irresponsible and selfish actions of some. So the law abiding motorist pays the penalty in more ways than one.
When a driver is detected for these offences they will be charged and either reported to the Procurator Fiscal or receive a Conditional Offer of Fixed Penalty. The fine for a licence offence is £60 and an endorsement of 3 penalty points on their licence and for insurance offences is £200 and 6 penalty points on their licence.
Inspector Ewan Innes, from the Road Policing Unit in Aberdeenshire and Moray, said:-“Motorists using vehicles without a valid policy of insurance or full and current driving licence are very obviously taking a conscious decision to flout road traffic legislation which is intended to assist in keeping the roads safe for us all. It is conceivable that persons using vehicles in this cavalier manner may have the same approach to routine maintenance of their vehicles. We have previously emphasised the importance of appropriate and ongoing maintenance to maximise safety on the roads. The combination of these attitudes can result in very serious and tragic consequences.
“Whilst there are many people that intentionally drive without statutory documents, we frequently detect drivers that have failed to deal with their obligations to ensure for example, that insurance renewals have been dealt with timeously; that they have not lapsed; and that the correct cover for the actual use of the vehicle at that time by that driver is in place.
“On many occasions we find drivers being caught out because they haven’t paid attention to the details which it is their absolute responsibility to do. This initiative is intended to get drivers thinking about their obligations and to ensure that they do not become another statistic or that their actions or inactions do not result in more serious consequences.
“It is vitally important to pay attention to the status of your statutory documents. If you do not, such an avoidable oversight may result in the vehicle being seized resulting in the financial penalty associated with reclaiming it and any payment of a penalty notice or a subsequent fine imposed at court. This is in addition to the endorsement of your driving licence which will have consequences on any subsequent insurance premiums for many years.
“In the short term you may also be deprived of the vehicle for some time which may have an effect on your day to day family life and perhaps your employment. All of these consequences should combine in providing a significant deterrent to driving without the relevant statutory documents or ensuring you or the driver of your vehicle is fully covered and entitled to drive.
“I would urge anyone who has information regarding uninsured or unlicensed drivers to contact Police Scotland on 101.”
Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Ashton West, Chief Executive at MIB, the body which compensates innocent victims of uninsured and untraced motorists said: “We continue to work closely with the Police and other stakeholders to explain the legal requirement for motor insurance which is there to protect everyone on the road.
“With an estimated 1.2 million uninsured drivers on UK roads, we are pleased to support Police Scotland in their latest activity, which makes an important contribution to bringing this number down.
“The Motor Insurance Database is used by the Police and DVLA to identify uninsured vehicles for enforcement every day. Members of the public are encouraged to check their vehicle insurance record is on the Motor Insurance Database by using the free service at www.askMID.com.”
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