Industry News from Yes Insurance

Greater Manchester Police has seized more than 10,000 vehicles in the last nine months for not having car insurance.

Officers have been working hard to reduce the number of illegal vehicles on the UK's roads and the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) says the figure represents a third of all vehicles seized in the country.

Using an automatic number plate recognition system in conjunction with the Motor Insurance Database, police have managed to swoop and remove vehicles quickly.

Drivers are forced to pay a recovery and storage fee as well as a £200 fine, while any unclaimed cars will be either crushed or sold.

"The number of drivers that are driving on the road illegally is staggering, and we are determined to put a stop to this activity and make the roads safer for everyone," said sergeant Paul Philbin from Greater Manchester Police.

Officers believe that drivers without car or van insurance are more likely to be involved in other criminal activity, such as drink driving.

The MIB has commended the work of Greater Manchester Police but has warned that the problem of uninsured vehicles is a growing one.

"We believe there may be anywhere up to two million of these criminals on the roads," MIB spokesman Neil Drane told the BBC.

But he added: "The chance of being caught out doing this is substantially higher than ever before."

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