Over 4,300 uninsured vehicles taken off Essex roads in 2024

Essex Police seized 4,329 uninsured vehicles across the county between January and December last year, which is an average of 12 vehicles every day, to ensure road safety for all.

The figure is an increase of 21% on 2023 results. Uninsured vehicles pose a significant risk to other road users. Whilst those aiming to be law-abiding motorists may fall foul of common insurance pitfalls, such as assuming their policy has auto-renewed or that they are covered to drive other vehicles, over 60% of uninsured vehicles seized are found to have links to serious secondary offences.

Operation Scalis enables the force to fully dedicate officer time and benefit from partner Motor Insurers’ bureau data, in order to identify potential uninsured vehicles and maximise the impact of clamping down on these dangerous vehicles.

If a stopped driver is unable to provide any proof of insurance, the vehicle is then seized, with a third going on to be crushed. Vehicles will only be released back to the owner once they have bought valid insurance, now at a premium due to their record of uninsured driving.

Other consequences include six penalty points, a fixed penalty of £300 or an unlimited fine should the case go to court, a fee to have the vehicle released and potentially being disqualified from driving.

Driving convictions can show in background checks, impacting job prospects, whilst the loss of independence may impact on any caring responsibilities, such as the need to take children to school or elderly parents to medical appointments.

Head Of Essex Police’s Roads Policing Unit, Mr Adam Pipe, said: Essex Police is dedicated to keeping roads safe for everyone, reducing the number of killed and seriously injured collisions on our roads. Each and every day we carry out patrols and enforcement work to ensure this priority is upheld, so we welcome the opportunity to do so by working closely with MIB.Being intelligence-led allows us to focus our efforts through dedicated days of action and by sharing our joint resources and data, we have made a significant contribution to road safety last year by reducing the number of uninsured vehicles on our roads.Uninsured vehicles are often some of the most dangerous vehicles on our roads because they aren’t roadworthy and left unrectified, any defects could contribute to a serious collision.So, this successful partnership is vital to keeping all our drivers and road users safe.

Simon French, Law Enforcement Liaison Officer at MIB, said: MIB has had a close working relationship with Essex Police - over the past three years in particular our relationship and collaboration has thrived. This has been further strengthened through implementation of Operation Scalis, a national MIB-funded initiative, which means that the force’s motivated and professional Roads Policing Unit officers can specifically target those drivers’ intent on driving whilst uninsured and putting other law-abiding motorists at risk.Tackling uninsured driving isn’t just about getting people to pay premiums – it’s to keep innocent road users safe.

Our message is simple: There is nowhere to hide. Drive with adequate insurance, or you will be caught.

All police forces submit monthly vehicle seizure statistics to MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau), the UK entity responsible for reducing levels of uninsured driving and compensating individuals involved in a collision with an uninsured or hit-and-run driver.