Nearly 160,000 uninsured cars seized on UK roads

Nearly 160,000 uninsured cars seized on UK roads8 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKatie Thompson,Annie DelaneyandPhil Mackie,Midlands Correspondent, in BirminghamWest Midlands PoliceA Lamborghini was towed away by police when the driver was found to have no insuranceNearly 160,000 uninsured cars were seized on the UK's roads last year - the highest number for 17 years.The cost of cover was one of the main factors for those flouting the law, according to the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB), which estimates about 300,000 cars are being driven every day without insurance.Hot spot areas include Birmingham, which has five out of the top 15 postcodes in the UK for accidents involving uninsured drivers.In one police operation earlier this month, West Midlands Police took 16 vehicles off the road for being uninsured - including a Lamborghini.Uninsured driving is estimated to cost the UK economy £1bn every year which includes compensation for victims, emergency services, medical costs and loss of productivity.The MIB said someone in the UK was affected by uninsured or hit-and-run drivers every 20 minutes, with one person each day suffering life-altering injuries.Several cars were seized for having no insurance as part of the national operation The Birmingham postcodes which account for the five hot spots are B25, B18, B66, B21 and B35.Other postcodes in the top 10 included Thurrock's RM19 in Essex, PE1 in Peterborough, M18 in Manchester, Havering's RM1 in London and Belfast's BT17.Hayley Sutcliffe, from the MIB, said: "It's a diverse area so people coming into the country might not know the laws and the legislation of the Road Traffic Act."We need to raise awareness around when people need to have the correct level of cover of insurance."Sgt Adrian Brown from West Midlands Police said a lot of people they caught claimed they could not afford insuranceOperation Scalis is run by the MIB in conjunction with police forces a...