New police data shows 57,000 Brits driving illegally

Drivers avoiding car admin as thousands risk fines of up to £27 million, new research by Wagonex reveals

·       Exclusive FOI data to police forces reveals drivers risking £27 million in fines due to neglecting car admin¹

·       Survey data also reveals that 5m drivers admit to knowingly driving without valid insurance or MOT²

·       Northern Ireland and Lancashire are the worst areas for not having insurance and outdated MOTs, respectively – and both regions are in top five for both crimes

·       23% of Brits say reducing car admin is most appealing part of car ownership alternative 

·       Wagonex CEO says car subscription adoption could tackle MOT and car insurance neglect 

Thousands of UK drivers are forgetting to deal with their car admin every year, car subscription service Wagonex reveals, with 57,708³ drivers caught on the roads without insurance or a valid MOT last year. 

Of those that offended, 44,328 were caught for not paying their insurance while 13,380 motorists were caught for not booking their car in for an MOT.

The FOI data from UK police forces, which was obtained by Wagonex, also found that this year alone 3,214 drivers were pulled over for failing to deal with the hassle of car admin tasks, like sorting their insurance or MOTs.

However, the figure could be much larger as additional research commissioned by Wagonex reveals one in 10 drivers – equivalent to 5 million of the UK’s license holders – admit to knowingly driving without a valid MOT or insurance.

The research highlights that drivers who forgot to pay their insurance and MOT fees last year were at risk of fines costing almost £27 million. Those who drive without the correct insurance could be subject to a £300 fixed fine and 6 penalty points. If caught driving a vehicle with out-of-date maintenance, you could be faced with a fine of up to £1,000. Given the number of people who have already offended this year, 2023 car admin criminals are risking fines of up to £3 million.⁴

From a regional perspective, Northern Ireland and Lancashire are the worst areas for uninsurance and outdated MOTs, respectively – and both regions are in top five for both car admin crimes.

Northern Ireland, Kent and Staffordshire, collectively made up 34% of uninsured driver offences in 2022, whereas Lancashire, Suffolk and North Yorkshire make up for 37% of offences for driving without an MOT.⁵

The UK’s worst areas for car admin crimes

Uninsured	Out of date MOT
1. Northern Ireland	1. Lancashire
2. Kent	2. Suffolk
3. Staffordshire	3. North Yorkshire
4. Lancashire	4. Norfolk
5. South Wales	5. Northern Ireland

Of those offending, young drivers are most likely to be caught driving uninsured, with 21- to 30-year-olds being accountable for 2,800 offences between January 2022 and April 2023.

Toby Kernon, CEO and Founder at Wagonex, says that car subscription adoption could tackle uninsurance and MOT neglect as 23% of people say reducing car admin is the most appealing part of subscription as a car ownership alternative. 

He said: “The least fun part of owning or financing a car is the admin that comes with it. From remembering when your insurance is due to going through the rigmarole of finding an MOT centre that can fit you in when you need them too.

“So many of us are time poor, but unfortunately these things are legal necessities and forgetting them or putting them off can put you at risk of hefty car admin fines.

“If you’re one of those 5 million drivers who is driving around without insurance or MOT – and it’s because you don’t have the time to sort it – car subscription could be for you. Like many subscription services, car subscription is there to make life easier. Everything is bundled in, so you never have to face the hassle of car admin.

“All of the vehicles listed on Wagonex.com come inclusive of MOT, maintenance and servicing with optional insurance too – giving you the freedom to choose your own provider if you prefer.”