M4 drivers reminded to check their car is properly insured

MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) are reminding drivers along the M4 corridor to check their vehicle is properly insured, after a YouGov study showed 10% of the British public are not aware that motor insurance is compulsory for any vehicle used on a public road.

MIB, the not-for-profit entity that exists to protect people from the devastation of uninsured and hit-and-run driving, is raising awareness of the need for continuous and appropriate insurance to be in place for all vehicles, as well as the consequences for those who choose to flout the law.

Following a period of increased police activity along the M4 corridor, which was been supported and organised by MIB and saw 109 uninsured vehicles stopped with 51 seized, the organisation has now deployed an eight-week awareness campaign. Running the length of the M4, advertising is being shown on the famous M4 Torch, roadside billboards, washrooms posters, fuel pump covers and petrol station digital boards.

The adverts prompt drivers to check their insurance policy is listed on Navigate, the home of all live UK motor policies, which is managed by MIB. They also highlight that 200 cars are seized every week by police forces that cover the M4, driving home the severe consequences of uninsured driving.

With the help of MIB’s Police Helpline and Navigate, the police take an uninsured vehicle off the road every four minutes – 129,000 in 2023 alone. One in every three cars go on to be crushed and recycled. However, the YouGov survey found a surprising lack of knowledge across the British public about the potential consequences of driving uninsured:

• only 45% of British adults know that you are likely to receive 3 points on your licence.
• less than half (44%) know that uninsured drivers may be liable for an unlimited fine.
• whilst two-thirds (67%) know that their vehicle may be seized should they drive uninsured, 57% don’t know that their car may end up being crushed.

Martin Saunders, Head of Enforcement for MIB, says: “It’s clear to us that increasing awareness of driver responsibilities and potential consequences of uninsured driving – which can be severe and stick with the individual for years to come – is an important route to reducing uninsured driving on our roads.

“Whilst we continue to work closely with our police colleagues to remove non-compliant vehicles, our focus on education is increasing. The M4 advertising campaign allows us to capture the attention of drivers as a time when they’re focused on their vehicles, with a clear action of ensuring that a live motor policy is listed on the Navigate system.”